The Greens faction leadership wants to discuss how they will deal with the fact that Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants the three remaining nuclear power plants to continue to operate until mid-April 2023. Former federal environment minister Jürgen Trittin criticized Scholz’s decision and the Green Youth reacted with outrage. “That’s Basta politics, and we don’t need it,” said the co-head of the Green youth organization, Timon Dzienus, of the German news agency. A debate in the Bundestag on this subject is necessary.
On Monday, Scholz declared a one-day dispute within the traffic light coalition, especially between the Greens and the FDP, with a clear announcement. The Chancellor has instructed the responsible ministers to make legislative proposals so that the three nuclear power plants Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland can continue to operate after the end of the year until 15 April 2023 at the latest. Scholz made use of his directive power. Accordingly, the Chancellor “sets the guidelines of politics and is responsible for them”.
“The decision is technically unjustified, it is not subject to the stress test, it is politically extremely questionable,” Trittin, a member of the Green Bundestag, told ZDF. “I think it’s going to be a very difficult operation.”
In view of the disagreement, Habeck appealed to his party’s sense of responsibility. Asked if he thought it conceivable that the Greens faction in the Bundestag would refuse to support Scholz’s decision, Habeck said he didn’t think that would happen. “Because the country, Europe, is in a serious crisis and endangering the government in this situation, seems to me completely disproportionate,” he told ARD.
At the same time, Habeck pointed out that the issue of the atom was a politically “highly charged issue.” “This question has shaped generations, has shaped German politics, and in this regard it is an exceptional situation.” In the “confused situation,” Scholz has now made a suggestion “that I can work with, live with,” Habeck said. “We had to work it out somehow,” he added, referring to the dispute.
The Greens chairmen pointed out that the decision addresses one of the party’s main concerns: that no new fuel rods will be purchased and that all German nuclear power plants will eventually go offline. However, the Emsland nuclear power plant is not necessary for grid stability, says co-chairman Ricarda Lang of the dpa. “We therefore do not consider it necessary to continue the operation.” Co-boss Omid Nouripour made a similar statement on Twitter.
At a party conference over the weekend, the Greens decided to support the so-called stretching operations for the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 furnaces until mid-April 2023, as proposed by Habeck. The FDP had called for the third nuclear power plant in Emsland to be kept connected to the grid and to run all three reactors until 2024. If necessary, nuclear power plants that have already been shut down must be restarted.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s party welcomed the chancellor’s decision, although it also failed to meet their demands. The energy policy spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group, Michael Kruse, took the decision in support of his party. “The outcome of the negotiations shows that well-founded positions prevail.” He also expects that this will lead to prices falling, because the signal is given that more electricity is becoming available.
The leader of the left-wing faction Dietmar Bartsch dismissed Scholz’s decision as “absurd slander theater”. “This decision comes after the elections in Lower Saxony and after the federal party conference of the Greens. It was not about the citizens, nor about security of supply, but only about the egos of Habeck and Lindner,” Bartsch told the Funke media group newspapers (Tuesday).
Scholz also received criticism from the Union for his initiative. His decision was not a word of power, but a “sign of weakness,” said Julia Klöckner, spokeswoman for the trade union group’s economic policy. “Citizens and businesses are waiting for real relief, which can only be achieved with more energy.”
(SDA)