The war affected the politics and economy of Germany. Last Minute GERMANY, BERLIN, Russia, headlines and events

BERLIN. As the first year of the war, which began with Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, drew to a close, Germany was undoubtedly one of the countries hardest hit by the outcome of the war.

While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in conflict with many NATO countries, especially the United States of America (USA), in foreign policy for a long time rising inflation, high cost of living and high energy prices associated with the war led the country to the brink of an economic crisis.

About 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, who after the war were able to enter the country without a visa and did not have to apply for asylum, caused a new migration crisis.

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, who succeeded Angela Merkel as prime minister on December 8, 2021, found himself in a war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, before he could get used to the position.

While the war was on its fourth day, Scholz, in a speech to the German parliament, called the war a “turning point” for Germany and decided to allocate an additional budget of 100 billion euros for the German army.

With this decision, which means a large investment in the German military industry and the military, Prime Minister Scholz resolved a contentious issue that had existed for many years, especially in relation to the United States, stating: “We will invest more than 2 percent of the gross domestic product for our defense Every year”.

Scholz refused to send weapons to Ukraine, citing a ban on sending weapons to crisis and war zones under German law prior to the outbreak of heated conflicts between Russia and Ukraine.

However, he took a new position on the issue and stated that he would abandon this principle. First, light weapons and military equipment were approved, such as 1,000 anti-tank and 500 Stinger-type missiles, and then another taboo was broken during the year, and heavy weapons, such as the Patriot air defense system, Marder-type armored vehicles and a tank Leopard was approved.

Cold winds blow between Russia and Germany

Germany, which provided about 2.3 billion euros worth of arms and military equipment between January 2022 and January 2023, has come to the fore as one of the most effective countries in sanctions against Russia, as well as one of the countries that provided the most military support . to Ukraine with this figure.

However, this support cost Germany dearly. Relations with Russia, especially in the energy sector, were practically at zero. Germany, which imported 55 percent of its natural gas, 34 percent of its oil, and 26 percent of its coal before the war from Russia, faced a severe energy crisis after my Kremlin administration cut off gas supplies, most of which came from the Nord Stream gas pipeline. in September last year. ran into a problem.

In order to combat the energy crisis and reduce dependence on post-war Russia, the government decided to continue using coal-fired power plants, which had previously been announced to be closed. It was also decided to maintain the readiness of three nuclear power plants, which it was decided to close on December 31, until April 31. After the establishment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals a few months later, there was no dangerous famine during the winter months.

Despite this, energy prices were almost twice as high as during the normal winter season. Inflation jumped to 10 percent, and this and rising energy prices held back economic growth. The German Economic Research Institute said the cost of the war and the energy crisis to the German economy in 2022 is 100 billion euros, equivalent to 2.5 percent of the gross national product.

What about Ukrainian refugees?

One of the brightest topics of the war between Ukraine and Russia in everyday life was Ukrainian refugees.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, about 1.2 million people emigrated from Ukraine in 2022 alone. Although this figure exceeds the sum of 834 thousand immigrants from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq between 2014 and 2016, 26 percent of Ukrainian refugees do not plan to return to their country even after the end of the war, and 13 percent want to live in Germany. for a few more years.

Due to the influx of refugees, reaching tens of thousands on some days, immigration centers were overcrowded. In many cities, such as Berlin, Ukrainians have been housed in tents or in places of temporary accommodation, such as gyms and congress centers.

In Germany, Ukrainian refugees have the right to free use of trains and public transport in many cities. Ukrainians who can stay in Germany on a passport for up to 90 days can easily obtain a residence permit without going through the procedure that other refugees go through to stay in the country longer.

Unlike immigrants who came to the country on the wave of immigration in 2015, granting Ukrainians the right to work and a residence permit immediately sparked a discussion in society about “good refugee, bad refugee.” The German state, while meeting the refugees’ needs for housing, basic food, hygiene and clothing in 2015, allowed them to work only if their asylum application was accepted.

Many analysts argue that xenophobic and anti-refugee groups can abuse the issue to their advantage. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is also associated with this event, attracting attention with its populist rhetoric on current issues and demanding a limit on the number of Ukrainian refugees. latest polls.

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