Prospects for German politics in the Middle East after the parliamentary elections

According to IRNA on Saturday, the German website added: “Democracy, law and respect for human rights are among the issues that the German government emphasizes in the framework of its foreign policy, but these positions sometimes contradict the economic interests of this country;” A big challenge that the next government will face.

Arms deals with Arab countries have been a contentious issue between the German government and the opposition.

Germany is facing a major foreign policy dilemma and challenge, which can be found on the Foreign Ministry website. The website publishes a text on the basic principles of German foreign policy, which lists “promoting and supporting democracy and human rights” as one of the country’s political pillars.

The text emphasizes that peace, security, stability and sustainable development can only be achieved where “democratic principles and the rule of law prevail and human rights are respected.”

The text also states: “Germany, as a trade-oriented country, attaches special importance to its foreign economic policies; “Policies that help German companies enter foreign markets and improve their operations across Germany’s borders.”

Deutsche Welle wrote: “Germany wants to strengthen democratic values ​​and in accordance with human rights, and at the same time, as is customary in the field of international politics, it seeks to act in the interests of itself and to achieve its goals; This is not a problem at first glance. The problem arises when these two fundamental principles are at odds with each other and business interests are confronted with ethical issues. This is a dilemma that casts a shadow over Germany’s relations with Arab countries, in particular, and seems very difficult to resolve.

Assisting asylum seekers in times of crisis

“For example, the German government welcomed the pro-democracy efforts of the Arab Spring movement and the popular protests in the Arab world,” Deutsche Welle reported in part.

At the same time, German politicians have repeatedly condemned human rights abuses, including the torture and detention of opposition figures or the repression of women in Arab countries.

Germany has accepted about 770,000 Syrian refugees, and at a time when the Syrian war was raging and the influx of refugees was raging, it released them quickly and without regard to bureaucratic issues.

At the same time, it is trying to attract countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia as trade partners; Countries that Germany should, in principle, distance itself from because of the deplorable human rights situation. But when it comes to high-paying arms exports, politics and economics close one eye, and sometimes even both.

Proponents of the policy argue that trade relations can provide the conditions for change. Parties such as the Greens, as well as human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, reject such an argument.

Strong impact on domestic politics

Deutsche Welle added: “Guido Steinberg, a Middle East expert at the Science and Politics Foundation, believes that if it is only for refugee issues, Germany needs to pay attention to its relations with Arab countries.”

“In 2015, we saw that events in the Middle East and North Africa could have a profound impact on the state of German domestic politics,” the expert told Deutsche Welle.

According to him, there is no common view in the German government on many relevant issues, and the country is even reluctant to formulate and define its demands and interests in this regard. “You seldom find a politician who says it is in our best interest for asylum seekers from these countries not to enter Germany,” Steinberg added.

A Middle East challenge for Angela Merkel’s successor

Deutsche Welle goes on to describe three important German goals in the Middle East. The report states; According to Steinberg, Germany has three goals in the Middle East: to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in the region, to stabilize, among other things, to prevent a new wave of asylum seekers and to effectively combat terrorism.

Christine Müller, a Middle East expert at the German Foreign Policy Association, also believes that there is no room for a decisive and systematic foreign policy towards Arab countries.

“The UAE is Germany’s most important trading partner in the region,” he said in an interview with Deutsche Welle, focusing on Germany’s arms deals with the UAE. Germany even considers it a strategic partner. “Even though the UAE is involved in the war in Yemen, it still receives arms from Europe and Germany.”

The answer of the German Ministry of Economy to the question of the German Green Party in January of this year is a proof of the claim that Germany does not shy away from trading with “difficult” partners.

According to the response, the German government in 2020 agreed to export 1.16 billion euros worth of weapons to countries involved in the wars in Yemen or Libya – including the export of weapons and military equipment to Egypt worth 752 million euros. Germany exports to Qatar (more than 305 million euros), the UAE (51.3 million euros), Kuwait (23.4 million euros) and Turkey (about 23 million euros) are next.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Christine Müller also referred to the ongoing arms deals between Germany and Saudi Arabia. However, according to this expert, the German government has stopped these transactions later than necessary.

“Saudi Arabia made headlines in connection with the assassination of Jamal Khashgechi, a critical Arab journalist, and the German government stopped exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia,” said the Middle East expert.

“In my opinion, Germany should have stopped arms exports to Saudi Arabia before this incident, due to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen, as well as the poor human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.”

Weakening insider position

In this regard, Christine Müller emphasizes the need to prevent the weakening of one’s position. “In my opinion, this is the decisive political point,” he said. If we want to be heard in the Arab countries regarding human rights and the rule of law, it is necessary for us to adhere to our political principles. “Germany itself is undermining the position and role it can play in the region.”

In the field of domestic politics, the pressure on the German government to define its policies towards the Middle East is increasing day by day.

“Foreign policy has always been about measuring each other’s interests and values, and this trend has intensified in recent decades and years,” says Guido Steinberg of the Berlin-based Foundation for Politics and Science. The Green Party has won in Germany.

Deutsche Welle writes: The German parliamentary elections will end on September 26 (October 4) during the 16-year term of Chancellor Angela Merkel. The future German government is likely to face increasing pressure from Washington on Berlin and a stronger German presence on international missions.

The German Chancellor and the future government are expected to take more responsibility in world politics, including in the Middle East; A responsibility that goes beyond acting as a mediator, for example in the Libyan crisis.