Status: 05.07.2022 8:08 p.m
This week, the Union wants to submit an application for extending the lifetime of the nuclear power plant – and is putting pressure on the FDP. She is also more in favor of nuclear power – unlike her coalition partner. From the SPD it says: The debate harms the business location.
In view of the looming gas crisis, the Union faction wants to have the Bundestag vote on a longer term for nuclear power plants. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt announced that his parliamentary group would introduce a corresponding amendment on Thursday in parallel with the vote on a possible longer service life for coal-fired power plants. This should enable the federal government to let the nuclear power plants run longer in the same system.
Spahn: As much electricity supply as possible
In the application that dem ARD Capital Studio was exclusively available, it is said that the traffic light coalition must provide replacements and alternatives for gas more quickly. In addition, energy must be saved earlier. Deputy CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn said that in this serious situation, action must be taken quickly, decisively and pragmatically. “If all the necessary measures are not taken now, it will catch up with us by winter at the latest.” According to Spahn, the nuclear power plants that are still in operation provide six to seven percent of Germany’s electricity: “We need as much electricity as possible.”
The Union faction is likely to want to point out the different opinions in the traffic light government with the plan to vote by name. Of the three coalition partners, one is for longer terms: the FDP. She had increased the pressure on the coalition partners SPD and Greens to keep the last three nuclear power plants in Germany running in view of the rising energy prices. “It’s high time to ensure the continued operation of the nuclear power plants for at least five years,” said FDP Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki recently.
The Union says: “The traffic light must now show its true colors when it comes to nuclear power: the FDP must show whether it stands by its position, and the Greens and SPD whether they are giving up their ideological blockade.”
AfD is planning its own application
The AfD parliamentary group also wants to introduce a draft amendment to the Atomic Energy Act to parliament this week, as the first parliamentary director Bernd Baumann announced. He called the shutdown of “existing, fully functional nuclear power plants” “extremely absurd” in view of the energy crisis. According to the AfD, an extension of the term is technically and organizationally possible.
Three nuclear power plants are still in operation in Germany: in Lingen, in Neckarwestheim and near Landshut. They should be switched off by the end of this year.
SPD and Greens against longer maturities
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil again rejected a term extension to secure the energy supply. “Nuclear energy is no solution for this,” he said at an event of the SPD’s economic forum. “Anyone who leads this discussion will ultimately damage Germany as a business location.” Klingbeil referred to the purchase of fuel elements, personnel recruitment or recent safety checks that were not carried out. It must now be a matter of procuring gas, expanding alternatives and also letting coal-fired power plants run longer. The nuclear power plant operators see at least high hurdles.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke had also advised against longer nuclear power plant runtimes. “A small contribution to the energy supply would stand in the way of major economic, legal and security risks,” said a joint test report from the green-led ministries.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton believes that Germany should keep its nuclear power plants connected to the grid longer. “It is extremely important to let the three German nuclear power plants that are still in operation run longer,” he told the “Handelsblatt”. “At least for a few months and of course in a safe way.” Breton argued that extending the lifetime of the nuclear reactors is in the interest of all of Europe.
Catholics warn EU
The EU Commission has plans to temporarily classify nuclear power and gas as environmentally friendly energies. The EU Parliament is to decide on Wednesday. The classification as sustainable within the framework of the taxonomy is intended to stimulate investments in certain economic sectors.
The President of the Central Committee of German Catholics, Irme Stetter-Karp, said nuclear energy and natural gas should not be declared ecologically sustainable energy sources. Stetter-Karp criticized in Berlin that if the EU Commission’s corresponding proposal were to go through, economic investments in gas and nuclear energy would be promoted over a long period of time. “It wouldn’t be an ethically sustainable investment.” This not only undermines the objectives of the transformation, but also “deliberately promotes investments in sectors with devastating ecological effects and risks”.
With information from Michael Stempfle, ARD capital studio