Greens call for investigation committee regarding Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
Despite various challenges, Berlin has continuously relied on the Ostsee-pipelines Nord Stream 2 to access affordable Russian gas. However, the project was halted only before the massive invasion in Ukraine, and an official inquiry into the background of the issue is yet to be completed.
Green politicians are urging for a parliamentary investigative committee on the Ostsee pipeline Nord Stream 2. As per the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung," Green economic politician Felix Banaszak considers it unacceptable that these events are yet to be fully understood. He remarked, "It's unbearable that these matters remain unclear."
Banaszak deems the project as "the biggest economic, energy, and foreign policy blunder since the establishment of the Federal Republic," according to the Bundestag member. A parliamentary investigative committee is essential, "to shed light on these unanswered questions and gain access to all records and the questioning of those involved." The "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" also mentioned Green faction leader Katharina Dröge, who stated on Tuesday that there are issues "that clearly require a parliamentary clarification."
The Ostsee pipeline Nord Stream 2, built to carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, never started operation due to Russian aggression towards Ukraine. The government ended the approval process.
The documents that surfaced between 2014 and 2022, as reported by the newspaper, suggest that both Grand Coalitions under Chancellor Angela Merkel attempted to eliminate opposers of the energy project in the EU or even against both Ukraine and the United States for several years.
The outcomes of "political decision-making flaws by the Union and SPD governments" are still apparent today, notes Banaszak. "The disclosed documents unequivocally show that the previous federal government took every step to make the project a success," remarks the economic politician. Initiatives like the Foundation Climate and Environment Protection in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are "merely the tip of the iceberg."
Read also:
- Despite the halt of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project due to geopolitical tensions, Germany's reliance on Russian gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline continues, a situation that Angela Merkel's governments have been criticized for by Alliance 90/The Greens.
- The Green Party's investigation committee request regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project comes in light of allegations that the German and SPD governments may have pushed to eliminate opponents of the project, as suggested by documents released between 2014 and 2022.
- After the Green politicians' call for a parliamentary investigative committee on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Katharina Dröge, the Green faction leader, emphasized the need for a parliamentary clarification, asserting that some issues require a thorough investigation.
