Robert Habeck: “Statements by Friedrich Merz show ignorance”

Green candidate for chancellor Robert Habeck is harsh on the CDU chairman for his statements about green steel. “Friedrich Merz’s statements demonstrate ignorance, callousness and irresponsibility,” Habeck told the star. “Friedrich Merz may have the economic competence of an asset manager who is responsible for the returns of wealthy investors. I do not see the economic competence of a chancellor who is responsible for a country in these statements.”

The outrage was triggered by a statement by CDU party leader Merz at the works council conference of the CDA, the workers’ wing of the Christian Democrats, on Monday in Bochum (). Merz said he didn’t believe in a quick switch to green steel. “Where is the hydrogen supposed to come from? We don’t have it.” And even then, the steel would then be more expensive than conventional steel. “Where will the money for this come from?” Merz agreed to take care of the issue. How, he left open. Also from the .

Economics Minister Robert Habeck supports the criticism with clear words. “Anyone who says they don’t believe in green steel can just say to the steel companies and their employees in Germany: I don’t believe in you, goodbye!” he said star. “Anyone who blocks the path to green steel is saying goodbye to an entire industry in Germany and ensuring that we relocate the beginning of hundreds of value chains – from screws to cars to wind turbines – abroad.” That is the opposite of forward-looking, says the Green Economics Minister. “It weakens our economy, it makes us more dependent on foreign countries and it deprives thousands of people and their families of their livelihood.”

After Merz’s statement, the Social Democrats demanded clarification from the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, also a Christian Democrat. Wüst’s black-green state government supports the conversion of Thyssenkrupp’s plants. This is a big step towards “reconciling climate protection and industry with its attractive jobs,” said Wüst in the summer of 2023.

More than 80,000 employees in Germany work directly for the steel industry. The industry in North Rhine-Westphalia alone has 25,000 employees. Recently, doubts about the energy-neutral conversion of the steelworks had also been raised by the industry itself. The plans are currently being reviewed by management.

“We are continually examining, in a technology- and open-ended manner, what the best and most economically viable solutions are,” it said a few weeks ago. The two billion euros in state funding for the renovation would not be enough. A stop cannot be ruled out.

“The future of German steel is green,” said Green Party candidate for chancellor Habeck. “There is no other way to meet the climate targets, and there is no other way to keep steel in Germany.” The industry also needs green steel in international competition and wants to go this route.

“As the federal government, we have promised to support this path with several billion euros. The industry and the people rely on this.” Habeck admitted that the path to transformation was “not an easy one” and also cost money. “But not acting is much more expensive,” said the Green.

Merz apparently has in mind a complete change in technology. “We want to do CCS,” he said in Bochum, which means continuing to use fossil natural gas for steel production, but capturing the CO2 from it. However, this technology does not yet exist on an industrial scale in Germany, nor has it been tested to a large extent here, especially since the greenhouse gas then has to be injected into the ground somewhere. The steelworkers had linked their future to green hydrogen from renewable energies. The state wanted to support Thyssenkrupp with 4.7 billion euros for this restructuring.

Correction: In an earlier version of the article, a quote from Friedrich Merz was shortened and not reproduced correctly. The CDU leader literally said: “I personally do not believe that the rapid switch to hydrogen-powered steelworks will be successful. Where should the hydrogen come from? We don’t have that.”