power, fuel, or source of heat or motion. - Group leaders of CDU/CSU advocate for a U-committee on nuclear service lifespan.
The leader of the Union faction in the German parliament is seeking to investigate the process behind the decision to potentially extend the lifespan of nuclear power plants two years ago. This decision was made by the board of the CDU and CSU in Berlin, but still needs to be approved by a vote.
To create a parliamentary committee, the Bundestag must do so upon request from a quarter of the MPs. With 733 MPs, this means that at least 184 MPs need to vote in favor of the committee. The Union has 195 seats in the Bundestag.
Green Party ministers Robert Habeck (Economy) and Steffi Lemke (Environment) have been under pressure due to a report in the magazine "Cicero" that internal concerns about the planned nuclear phase-out in spring 2022 were silenced in both the Economy and Environment ministries. The ministries have denied these allegations. At that time, Germany's primary gas supplier, Russia, had attacked Ukraine, leading to discussions about securing energy supply in Germany.
The letter from Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) and CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt to the Union MPs suggests that the federal government made a decision regarding Germany's energy security that worked against the country's interests, instead abiding by the logic of the Green Party. Merz and Dobrindt believe that technical concerns from the working level were ignored or even fabricated by the top-ranking political officials.
They state that it is evident that the Green Party's political ideologies were prioritized over the country's interests. The letter asks if this occurred with the knowledge, on the instructions, or approval of the leadership at the Economy and Environment ministries.
Merz and Dobrindt insist that the public has a right to understand how the government's decision-making process during this European war situation affected the question of national energy security or was influenced. They also want to determine if there were efforts made by political leaders in the affected ministries to prevent the public from being informed about the findings of a technical review.
According to the Union, Habeck and Lemke missed the opportunity to transparently and comprehensively address the events in their own ministries, especially their roles. The Union has used every possible parliamentary method to uncover the hidden aspects of this murky process, but many questions still remain unanswered, and promised documents have only been shared partially. A parliamentary committee is recommended.
The FDP's energy policy spokesperson, Michael Kruse, stated that the revelations had contributed to increased insecurity among the population. A parliamentary investigative committee, Kruse claims, would help provide the necessary transparency to restore people's trust in Habeck.
The Union's four-page motion for the creation of the investigative committee proposes examining whether and which information on energy supply and its development, as well as nuclear safety, were taken into account during the decision-making processes. The motion also seeks to know if any German authorities, research organizations, experts, associations, or companies related to energy supply and nuclear safety had contact with the highest federal authorities and were involved. Other questions will explore if there were connections with authorities from neighboring countries or European and international institutions.
The "Habeck files," a classified report, were the basis for the magazine "Cicero's" reporting. A journalist from the magazine successfully sued for the release of the previously hidden documents.
Germany completed its nuclear phase-out on April 15, 2023, shutting down its last three nuclear power plants. These plants were initially planned to close at the start of the year, but their operation was extended to ensure electricity supply. The Greens had long opposed this, but ultimately supported the plan for a temporary reserve involving two of the final three German nuclear power plants presented by Habeck and the operators in September 2022. The FDP was fully in favor of a longer operating life. In October 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) spoke in favor of the continued operation of all three reactors until spring.
The German nuclear phase-out can be traced back to a decision made by the black-yellow federal government under Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), who responded to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 with this.
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- The investigation committee in the Bundestag, requested by a significant number of MPs, will focus on the decision-making process surrounding the potential term extension of Germany's nuclear power plants.
- The CDU and CSU in Berlin made the initial decision to extend the nuclear power plants' lifespan, but it still needs approval from the Bundestag for the proposal to become law.
- Alexander Dobrindt, the CSU's parliamentary group leader, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU's faction leader, sent a letter to their Union parliamentary group members, urging them to support the committee's creation.
- The Green Party's ministers, Robert Habeck (Economy) and Steffi Lemke (Environment), have been criticized for allegedly silencing internal concerns about the nuclear phase-out and its impact on energy security during discussions about the crisis in Ukraine.
- Emma Hirsch, the Green Party's spokesperson, denied the reports of internal resistance and political manipulation, stating that Habeck and Lemke have acted in Germany's best interests throughout the nuclear phase-out process.
- The Union parliamentary group believes that top-level officials prioritized the Green Party's political ideologies over the country's interests, and they want to investigate whether this happened with political authorization.
- By establishing an investigative committee, the Union hopes to uncover any hidden aspects of the nuclear phase-out decision-making process that have gone unnoticed so far and restore public trust in the German government's transparency and integrity.
- Alliance 90/The Greens, the FDP, and the SPD, the three remaining parties in the Bundestag, have not yet commented on the Union's motion for a parliamentary investigative committee.
- The CDU and CSU's efforts to establish this investigative committee come after a year filled with climate records and extreme weather events, emphasizing the importance of secure energy sources and reliable energy policies in Germany.
- The Union's motion for a parliamentary investigative committee would cover connections between German authorities, research organizations, experts, associations, and companies related to energy supply and nuclear safety during the nuclear phase-out decision-making process.
- This proposed committee would also explore potential connections with neighboring countries or European and international institutions, ensuring a comprehensive investigation of any potential conflicts of interest or influences in Germany's decision-making process regarding nuclear energy.
