opinion
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken a word of power in the nuclear power plant dispute between the Greens and the FDP. The compromise helps the citizens and the climate. But a coalition partner is likely to have problems with the decision.
By Nicholas Blome
The Chancellor has agreed to a kind of power word, which took quite a long time, but still: the decision gives the citizens a little hope to get through the winter better and cheaper. More electricity is produced and less expensive, scarce gas is consumed. That should help in the end in the wallet, but it also helps the climate. Nuclear power is generated without the climate-damaging CO2.
The last three German nuclear power plants will therefore supply electricity until spring 2023. They could run a lot longer, and that would be good, but still: the solution makes more sense than anything that’s been on the table so far, and that’s saying something.
Scholz speaks his word of power because of nuclear power plants
Olaf Scholz delivers his compromise as a word of power, so much show is allowed, even if it doesn’t really mean much. The so-called guideline competence of a Federal Chancellor only extends as far as his coalition partners allow him. And one thing was clear: neither the Greens nor the FDP would have dared to leave the government because of the nuclear power plants. You would have been chased to hell by voters at the first opportunity.
Nevertheless, it will be tough for the Greens. They should be good losers by now, but they’re not known for that when it comes to nuclear power. Nevertheless, the SPD chancellor quickly conceded two central points of the Green Party Congress resolution from the weekend: The two southern German nuclear power plants should produce electricity without brakes, i.e. not just stand “in reserve”. And above all: The third and last nuclear power plant, the one in Lower Saxony, should also be running and delivering until spring. It will be a showdown as to whether the green leadership, led by Robert Habeck, can assert this against the old green generation. It won’t help much that the other points in the chancellor’s decision should still hide some things in favor of the Greens.
Olaf Scholz delivers the lead late
Olaf Scholz delivered the lead, late but clear. He sided with common sense, and rightly so. You could never have explained to these people, who are looking at their gas and electricity bills with great concern, why every kilowatt hour of electricity counts and is welcome this winter – but not if it comes from a German, safe nuclear power plant. Stimulating against the common sense of a majority in the country would have put the governing coalition in far greater danger than a compromise ever could, in which the Greens fare less well than the FDP.
Source: Stern
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