SPD Demands Summit to Revive Sector
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is set to increase pressure on Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, calling for a summit to rescue the German steel industry. A motion to be discussed at the upcoming SPD party conference, scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon, urges the federal government and the Ministry of Economics to establish a steel summit with all German steel companies and locations as soon as possible.
“We cannot stand idly by as the steel industry teeters on the brink of collapse” said Sarah Philipp, chair of the North Rhine-Westphalia SPD. The party is advocating for the production of climate-friendly green steel in Germany, which it believes could mark the beginning of a new era in the steel industry. “This is not about preserving allegedly old structures, but about a technological revolution that makes our location future-proof” the motion states.
The initiative, backed by the regional branches of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland, is expected to receive broad support at the party conference. The regional branches with steel high-temperature furnaces in their areas, including Brandenburg, Bremen and Lower Saxony, have joined the initiative.
“Germany needs an active industrial policy now” said Philipp. “Without joint action from politics, business and employees, the industry is at risk of collapse.” The party is calling for political support for climate-neutral steel production and a swift summit led by the Economy Minister, along with a plan for affordable energy prices, hydrogen and green markets. Esra Limbacher, general secretary of the Saar SPD and vice-chair of the SPD’s parliamentary faction, added that the summit should prioritize the development of green steel and a roadmap for the industry’s future.