Bundestag sets up sub-committee on nuclear phase-out
Have Economy Minister Habeck and Environment Minister Lemke examined the continued operation of German nuclear power plants without a clear outcome? That's what the Union is asking, and they have requested an investigation. This can now begin.
The German Bundestag has approved the establishment of a parliamentary investigative committee on Germany's nuclear phase-out. For the corresponding Union fraction's motion, CDU/CSU and AfD deputies voted in favor in the afternoon. With this support, the necessary approval of at least one quarter of the German Bundestag members was achieved. The committee can therefore, as planned, hold its constituent meeting. Bundestag President Bärbel Bas will open the first public session in the evening.
The Union faction in the Bundestag requested the investigative committee to shed more light on allegations concerning the decisions regarding the continued operation of German nuclear power plants. The focus is on the two Federal Ministers for Climate and Environment, Robert Habeck and Steffi Lemke.
The Union accuses them of not examining the continued operation of nuclear power plants in an unbiased and clear manner. It's about nothing less than the question of whether the public was deceived in the decision to shut down the last three nuclear power plants, said CSU Bundestag deputy and energy politician Andreas Lenz. The Union will demand the necessary transparency during the proceedings and clarify the responsibilities for the events surrounding the nuclear phase-out. Lenz is one of the future committee members.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke stated that she would face the committee "calmly." "Setting up investigative committees is the right of the opposition," she emphasized. Her government has "answered all questions of the parliament and the public transparently from the start." The facts are on the table, Lemke said.
Germany had left nuclear energy usage by mid-April 2023. The last three reactors were permanently shut down. Before that, the German government had decided to keep them running for a few more months due to the energy crisis following Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Originally, the nuclear phase-out was supposed to be completed by December 31, 2022. The duration of the continued operation of the power plants and the final decision on the nuclear phase-out caused both internal government and opposition debates and controversies.
The now approved investigative committee is, besides the committee on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the second such committee in this legislative period. Investigative committees are considered the "sharpest weapon of the opposition." To set one up, at least one quarter of all Bundestag members must agree. With 195 of a total of 733 Bundestag members, the Union would have met this requirement even without AfD support.
- The Union is keen to understand if Economy Minister Habeck and Environment Minister Lemke thoroughly examined the continued operation of German nuclear power plants during the energy crisis, as they have questioned the lack of a clear outcome.
- The investigation committee, established in the German Bundestag to scrutinize Germany's nuclear phase-out, is expected to delve into allegations concerning the Union's claim of biased decisions regarding the continued operation of nuclear power plants, primarily focusing on Habeck and Lemke.
- Following the approval of the parliamentary investigative committee, the Union plans to seek clarification during the proceedings, aiming to uncover any responsibilities associated with the events surrounding the controversial nuclear phase-out and ensure transparency in the decision-making process.
