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German chaos will hurt Ukraine

The collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition raises apprehensions about what Europe’s economic woes may mean for Berlin’s ability to continue supporting Ukraine in its brave battle against Russia.

The cause of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s dismissal of finance minister Christian Lindner of the neoliberal Free Democrats was a bitter dispute over attempts by Mr Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats and his other coalition partner, the left-leaning Greens, to loosen a constitutionally enshrined “debt brake” on new borrowing.

Doing so would allow Germany, the eurozone’s largest economy, to take on more debt and boost support for Ukraine amid uncertainty about US support for Kyiv once Donald Trump is back in the White House. Mr Lindner would not have a bar of it, however, and his sacking by Mr Scholz inevitably means the collapse of a deeply unpopular coalition.

Mr Trump has doubled down on his first-term insistence that he will withdraw military support from European NATO members that underspend on defence. Many European countries have been unable to forge a political consensus to do so, as in the case of Germany, or because of high public debt and limited fiscal scope, as in France, Italy and Britain.

Adding to Germany’s woes is the fact it is facing a second year without economic growth. The German economy, which relies heavily on manufacturing and exports, has been hit hard by disrupted global supply chains and the need to provide for the 6.6 million migrants who have arrived during the past decade, including 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees.

A new election is expected in March. The chaos in what should be Europe’s economic powerhouse is a warning about how rapidly democracies can be overtaken by instability. Europe’s security will be seriously weakened if Germany is unable to provide the crucial help Ukraine needs and deserves.

Read related topics:Russia And Ukraine Conflict

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/editorials/german-chaos-will-hurt-ukraine/news-story/25c0c6a90efc3118802c838885d102a4