Labor group calls for creation of a committee to oversee nuclear-related choices.
A probe into how the traffic light government made the decision to keep three nuclear power plants running for three months longer in 2022 will be formed, according to the Union. They argue that the decision was made not in the best interest of Germany but rather to adhere to the green party's political agenda. Ministries involved are responding calmly.
The Bundestag is likely to set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter, following a motion presented by the Union in the afternoon, with sufficient votes to pass.
Union party leader Friedrich Merz and CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt allege in a letter to their members that the federal government made a crucial decision regarding national energy security "exclusively according to the logic of green party politics." They complained about the lack of information provided.
The committee could be established next week and may begin work before the summer break. The goal is to determine whether the decision to extend the life of the power plants was based on "truly impartial review" or if there was a party political decision that needed to be justified with questionable arguments from the relevant ministries, subordinate authorities, and Chancellery.
Minimum 184 parliamentarians need to vote for this committee to form under Article 44 of the Basic Law. With 733 deputies, the Union, as the largest opposition force, has the power to initiate the committee.
Allegedly, internal concerns in the ministries were suppressed, according to a "Cicero" magazine report. The report also suggests that the Greens had "manipulated" the decision to extend the operating life of German nuclear power plants. Both ministries deny these claims.
The original plan was to shut down the remaining three AKWs at the end of 2022, but this sparked criticism from the Union. When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, concerns over energy supply prompted the federal government to make the extension decision. The nuclear plants continued operating until mid-April 2023.
Environment Minister Lemke views the Union's move as a right of the opposition to form such a committee. However, she insists that the government's decision was transparent and understandable from the start. They've provided over 600 documents related to the decision.
In April, the government had defended the decision, with Habeck stating they had "actively exhausted all options" and considered extending the lifespan.
Green faction leader Katharina Dröge isn't bothered by the proposed committee, saying it's the Union's right to do so, but she questions what exactly the committee hopes to achieve. In 2022, the extension of the nuclear power plants generated significant public discussion.
SPD faction deputy Matthias Miersch perceives this as an opportunity for the Union to clear up their conflicting stance on nuclear power. However, he questions if the Union has a clear view on nuclear policy. Miersch believes the Union's contradicting positions on nuclear power are confusing.
CSU state group leader Dobrindt mentioned that the inquiry's objective is not to "formulate a charge against the green anti-nuclear ideology," but rather to clarify possible deceptions. The Union seeks clarification and has been denied this by both the public and the parliament.
On April 15, 2023, Germany completed the nuclear phase-out and shut down the last three reactors. This was to be done at the turn of the year, but was extended to safeguard power supply. Miersch argues that the Union's confused stance on nuclear policy is unsustainable.
The ministries have already faced the criticism in April, with Habeck and Lemke defending their actions and stressing the opposition's right to form a parliamentary committee.
Green faction leader Dröge remains unconcerned, acknowledging that the Union has the right to establish a committee but remains unsure of its purpose. The uproar over the decision to extend the nuclear power plants' lifetimes in 2022 was extensive.
Minister Dobrindt believes it's crucial to ascertain whether the decision to prolong the lifetimes of the plants was based on a "truly impartial review," or if party political motives influenced the conclusion. He feels the Union has sought transparency but has not obtained it.
The investigation could cause revelations about the relationship between the government and the green party, as well as potentially reveal if the government was transparent or made superficial excuses in its decisions.
Both Habeck and Lemke are responding in a composed manner to the proposed committee. Despite the criticism, they've emphasized the right of the opposition to establish a parliamentary committee.
Green party officials had been reluctant to support this plan for a while, but in September 2022, they agreed to the idea of a temporary reserve for two out of Germany's last three working nuclear power plants. The FDP, however, was strongly in favor of a longer operating period. Then, in October 2022, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly backed the continuation of operations for all three nuclear power plants until the spring of 2023.
