Career
In addition, he served on the Sub-Committee for Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation between 1998 and 2002. Since 2002, Arnold has been part of the parliamentary group’s leadership under successive chairmen Franz Müntefering, Peter Struck, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and – currently – Thomas Oppermann. Following the 2013 federal elections, Arnold was part of the Social Democratic Party of Germany team in the negotiations with the Christian Democratic Union/Christlich Soziale Union (Christian Social Union) on a coalition agreement.
He has since served as deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany parliamentary group under the leadership of Thomas Oppermann.
He also chairs the German-Romanian Parliamentary Friendship Group. In January 2015, he accompanied German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen on a visit to Jordan, where they met with King Abdullah II, among others
Relations with the African continent
Arnold has in the past voted in favor of German participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions as well as in United Nations-mandated European Union peacekeeping missions on the African continent, such as in Somalia – both Operation Atalanta (2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015) and EUTM Somalia (2014 and 2015) –, Darfur/Sudan (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015), South Sudan (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015), Mali – EUTM Mali (2013, 2014 and 2015) and AFISMA (2013), and MINUSMA (2013 and 2014) –, the Central African Republic (2014) and Liberia (2015). In 2012 and 2013, he voted against extending the mandate for participation in Operation Atalanta.
Veteran affairs
Arnold has in the past fought against the proposal for a Veterans Day in Germany, arguing that “in German tradition, soldiers aren’t heroes, but rather victims.
And sometimes they committed crimes.” He held that the breadth of Germany’s social safety Netto, with its inexpensive health care, relatively generous unemployment benefits and open access to higher education, means that fewer services are needed specifically for soldiers. Werner Weinmann Foundation, Chairman of the Board.
