industry
Scholz warns about Merz’s steel course
CDU boss Merz doesn’t believe in a quick switch to “green steel” – and has to take a hard hit just six weeks before the federal election. What does the Chancellor think?
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warns of the consequences of the course of his challenger Friedrich Merz (CDU) for German steel production. Merz drew criticism when he said he did not believe in a successful, rapid switch to hydrogen-powered steelworks. Before a conversation with the board of the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB), Scholz predicted a bleak future for German steel production if its ongoing conversion to “green steel” remained without government support.
But a pragmatic approach is necessary. “If we want to ensure that steel production continues to play a central role in Germany in the future, we have to help companies ensure that steel can also be produced in a CO2-neutral manner.” A clear commitment to steel will continue to play a central role in Germany’s industrial development “in the coming centuries.”
Merz: Don’t get out without getting in
Merz defended his position. An exit from an area should not take place “until we know exactly where we are going to enter,” said the CDU leader, who was invited by the DGB to its board meeting in Scholz at the headquarters of the trade union federation. “We’ve gotten out often enough in this country. We have to get in now, and we can’t afford to shut down industrial plants or power plants until we know what will take their place.”
Merz: I am committed to steel production
“Green steel” is about not increasing global warming through extremely energy-intensive steel production. This is achieved through the use of renewable energies, i.e. wind and hydropower as well as solar energy. The process chain is hydrogen-powered.
He would like to renew his commitment, said Merz. “This is an express commitment to steel production in Germany.” It is needed in Germany as an industrial pillar for, among other things, defense technology. “And that’s why I will do everything I can to preserve them, strengthen them and keep them competitive.”
DGB leader Yasmin Fahimi, who also held the post of SPD general secretary, said “that the future of German steel must definitely be green.” This will be determined by the changes on the world markets.
dpa
Source: Stern
