Olaf Scholz
Chancellor of Germany (December 2021 to May 2025) · SPD (Social Democratic Party)
2 changes of mind on record, 2021–2022
How this works
Each change shows what they said then and what they said later, in their own words, dated, with the source.
Every quote is checked word for word against a saved copy of its source. Translations are labelled.
The short labels on each line are our summaries.
At a glance
- German weapons for Ukraine No lethal weaponsArm Ukraine Jan 2022Feb 2022
- The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline A private projectCertification halted Dec 2021Feb 2022
first said said otherwise
German weapons for Ukraine
Then
No lethal weapons
Germany does not export lethal weapons, and the change of government has not changed that.
“Die deutsche Bundesregierung verfolgt in dieser Frage seit vielen Jahren eine sehr gleichgerichtete Strategie. Dazu gehört auch, dass wir keine letalen Waffen exportieren. Daran hat sich durch den Regierungswechsel, der im Dezember des vergangenen Jahres stattgefunden hat, nichts geändert.”
Our translation The German federal government has for many years followed a very consistent strategy on this question. Part of that is that we do not export lethal weapons. The change of government that took place in December of last year has changed nothing about that.
1 month later
Later
Arm Ukraine
Germany will supply Ukraine with weapons to defend itself.
“Diese neue Realität erfordert eine klare Antwort. Wir haben sie gegeben: Wie Sie wissen, haben wir gestern entschieden, dass Deutschland der Ukraine Waffen zur Verteidigung des Landes liefern wird.”
Official translation This new reality requires an unequivocal response. We have given one. As you know, we decided yesterday that Germany will supply Ukraine with weapons for the country’s defence.
Context: Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022; the government decided on the first deliveries on 26 February.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Then
A private project
Nord Stream 2 is a private-sector project; a German authority decides on it without politics.
“Aber unabhängig davon, handelt es sich im Hinblick auf Nord Stream 2 um ein privatwirtschaftliches Vorhaben, das soweit vorangetrieben worden ist, dass dort jetzt eine genehmigte Pipeline liegt und dass noch eine Teilfrage entschieden wird, inwieweit das den Bundling-Kriterien des europäischen Energierechts entspricht. Darüber entscheidet ganz unpolitisch eine Behörde in Deutschland, die aber viele zur Konsultation heranzieht.”
Our translation But regardless of that, Nord Stream 2 is a private-sector project that has been taken so far that there is now an approved pipeline lying there, and one remaining question is being decided, namely to what extent it meets the unbundling criteria of European energy law. That is decided entirely unpolitically by an authority in Germany, which however consults many parties.
2 months later
Later
Certification halted
He has had the government withdraw the supply-security report so that the pipeline cannot be certified.
“Ich habe das Bundeswirtschaftsministerium heute gebeten, den bestehenden Bericht zur Analyse der Versorgungssicherheit bei der Bundesnetzagentur zurückzuziehen. Das klingt zwar technisch, ist aber der nötige verwaltungsrechtliche Schritt, damit jetzt keine Zertifizierung der Pipeline erfolgen kann - und ohne diese Zertifizierung kann Nord Stream 2 ja nicht in Betrieb gehen.”
Our translation Today I asked the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs to withdraw the existing report analysing security of supply that is with the Federal Network Agency. That sounds technical, but it is the necessary administrative-law step so that no certification of the pipeline can now take place - and without this certification Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation.
Context: On 21 February 2022 Russia recognised the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.