Bundestag member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Jurgen Hardt said on January 5 that there are serious disagreements in the German government over the launch of the Nord Stream 2 (JV-2) gas pipeline.
“After just a few weeks, cracks began to appear in the foreign and security policy of the traffic light coalition,” he told WAZ.
Hardt noted that different opinions in the government put forward the question of who determines foreign policy – the chancellor or the Foreign Ministry.
“For example, the issue of Nord Stream 2 is not clear – the SPD adheres to the point of view that this is an exclusively economic project, and the head of the Foreign Ministry [ФРГ Анналена Бербок] indicates a geostrategic role. Different positions are also seen on the issue of sanctions against Russia, ”added the German MP.
On December 29, Bundestag deputy from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Stefan Kotrets said that the contradictions existing between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country’s foreign minister on Nord Stream 2 points to a crisis in the German government.
According to Kotrets, the issue of launching the SP-2 was transferred from a private commercial issue and a geopolitical issue for ideological reasons. He expressed the opinion that the German government is cut off from reality and jeopardizes the partnership between Moscow and Berlin, as well as the stability of energy supplies to Europe.
On December 22, Berbock, who had previously repeatedly opposed the pipeline, said that she and Scholz had developed a common position on the launch of SP-2, which is that the certification process should be based on European legislation.
On December 17, Scholz said that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project, in which, among other things, private investments were made, and the Federal Grid Agency makes decisions on it without being guided by politics. According to the German Chancellor, the issue of compliance of the JV-2 with European energy legislation is being resolved.
On November 16, the German regulator suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent operator of SP-2. The procedure can be continued when a subsidiary company for the German part of the pipeline is created in Germany.
The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was completed on September 10. It was built from Russia to Germany along the Baltic seabed with the aim of direct gas supplies to Europe. The EU countries mainly support the project and participate in its implementation. The Baltic states, Poland, the USA and Ukraine are opposed.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
