German Bundestag, March 3, 2023, Plenarprotokoll 20/89, pp.
10681-10682.
Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.
For the seventh time, the Federal government now moves a
robust mandate according to Chapter VII of the UN charter for the continuation
of the NATO Operation Sea Guardian – this, although it has become clear in the
previous years’ debates on the theme that this mandate is a deceptive
packaging, is an empty shell, a “cardboard comrade” [“Pappkamerad”], as the colleague Tobias Lindner, today State
Secretary, then in opposition quite pertinently stated. The colleague Lindner rightly
then further stated that a mandate of the German Bundestag serves for the
parliamentary control of the Federal government, especially if it is a robust
mandate. A robust mandate may be granted if the substantive dangerous situation
requires it. Robust supply mandates are to be strongly rejected; since they
might amount to the same as a blank check for the government.
If the specific missions of Sea Guardian are now looked at,
it is ascertained that two of them are purely routine missions which are
ordinarily fulfilled by NATO naval forces in all operational areas and without
a robust mandate. A third mission, which would not be obligatory, arises only
from a conjuncture, namely the possible support of the EU mission Irini. And:
Other than as you have presented it, Frau State Secretary, the necessary
agreement for that between NATO and the EU has for years not occurred.
And for years Sea Guardian primarily does duty in a
secondary function. That is to say, sea-going units of NATO members report for
the length of passage through the Mediterranean to NATO’s permanent Maritime Command
at Norwood near London and thus contribute to the overview. The mission
relevant to the robust mandate, namely for the fight against terrorism and
against weapons smuggling, does not occur and has never occurred.
And the predecessor operation Active Endeavor of 2001 to
2016 which was based on Article 5 of the NATO treaty, according to the
information of the Federal government, has never amounted to a threat or an
application for the robust mandate.
That means that the German Bundestag for 22 years at the
motion of the respective government decided on a robust mandate for fighting
terrorism and weapons smuggling without there existing a real necessity for
that.
Beatrix von
Storch (AfD): Hear, hear!
Götz Frömming (AfD): Unbelievable!
And the argument that robust proceedings were not necessary because
of the functioning deterrence of Sea Guardian’s presence is contrived and
unworthy of credence.
Finally – this was already mentioned – it is not evident to
me how, according to the motion, a robust Operation Sea Guardian shall promote
a just, green and digital transition in the southern Mediterranean. Here, for
me, access for a feminist foreign policy is lacking.
Karamba Diaby (SPD): You can even pronounce the word! Crazy!
Nevertheless, the German Navy step by step is removing
presence forces for Sea Guardian. In the present security policy situation, these
forces should better increase the security in the principal mission territory
of our Navy, namely the North and Baltic Seas.
Götz Frömming (AfD): Jawohl!
This is indeed urgently necessary – it was already mentioned
– as shown by the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines.
We will not vote in favor of the presented motion for a
robust mandate for Sea Guardian. Sea Guardian can continue without problem the
hitherto fulfillment of the mission without a robust Bundestag mandate as a
NATO operation.
I thank you for your attention.
[trans: tem]
