Germany’s Green Party to Push for Permanent Shutdown of Unused Nord Stream Pipelines
The German Bundestag’s Green Party faction is set to introduce a motion on Thursday, calling on the government to take a series of measures to ensure energy independence from Russia and other authoritarian regimes. The party’s main demand is the permanent shutdown of the unused Nord Stream pipelines, which the Greens believe pose a security risk to Europe.
The motion, reported by the Tagesspiegel, calls on the government to develop a “Gas Independence Strategy” continue the expansion of renewable energy and pass a law to protect critical infrastructure. The Greens also criticize the previous government’s Russia policy, led by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), for being a security risk to Europe and economically damaging to Germany.
“We need to show that the old Russia connection no longer sets the course” said Katharina Dröge, co-leader of the Green Party’s Bundestag faction, in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. Dröge specifically targeted the CDU’s previous statements on the possibility of resuming gas imports from Russia after the Ukraine war, calling them “half-hearted phrases.” She criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for not clearly and unambiguously stating that Nord Stream 2 will not be put into operation.
The Greens’ motion is a direct response to the previous government’s plans for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was put on hold due to the Ukraine war. The party believes that the pipeline’s potential for gas imports from Russia poses a security risk to Europe and should be permanently shut down. The motion is set to be discussed in the Bundestag on Thursday.