Scholz's party includes ban on Taurus missiles for Ukraine in its election program

Deutsche Welle refers to information from the dpa agency, which obtained a draft of the Social Democrats' election program.

This stance aligns with the position of Germany's current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who opposes supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.

At the same time, the SPD's program declares support for the deployment of US long-range missiles on German territory.

Early elections in the Bundestag

In early November, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, a representative of the Free Democratic Party. This decision followed failed coalition negotiations to address a €13 billion deficit in Germany's 2025 budget proposal.

Subsequently, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed decrees to relieve the ministers of their duties.

On Monday, December 16, the Bundestag is scheduled to hold a vote of no confidence against Scholz. Following this, Steinmeier is expected to officially announce early parliamentary elections, preliminarily set for February 23, 2025.

The SPD has nominated Scholz as its candidate for chancellor in the upcoming elections. However, polls indicate that the party may lose its ruling status, with only 17% of respondents currently supporting the Social Democrats, compared to 31% favoring the conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

Taurus missiles for Ukraine

Discussions about supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles continue in Germany.

The CDU/CSU chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, expressed support for providing these missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces but emphasized the need for prior consultations with the United States.

Earlier, the Green Party's chancellor candidate also voiced support for sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

However, Olaf Scholz remains firmly opposed to this move, arguing that it could escalate into a NATO-Russia war.