Icon: enlarge
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig
Photo: Jörg Carstensen / dpa
At the conference of the East German Prime Ministers in Berlin, the six heads of government from the SPD, CDU and Left spoke out in favor of continuing the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
"The head of government and heads of government of the eastern German states have the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline project
discussed: It was determined that Nord Stream 2 is of great importance for Germany and many European countries in order to secure the energy supply of the future ", it says in a protocol note that is available to the SPIEGEL the completion of the Baltic Sea pipeline continues to be sensible and correct. "
The Eastern Prime Minister's Conference did not take a joint decision on Nord Stream 2 - as originally planned.
Reason: the massive criticism of several green regional associations.
The Greens are involved in five out of six state governments in East Germany, only in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the Greens do not participate.
The resolution proposal for the pipeline had also come from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig.
Greens distance themselves from heads of government
But the protocol note is also causing trouble.
In the draft position paper of the Green Vice Prime Minister, which is available to SPIEGEL, it is said that it is the "opposite of consistent political action" if the East Prime Minister's Conference stood behind Nord Stream 2.
And further: "Due to the construction and commissioning of Nord Stream 2, there must be no clean bill of health and no legitimation for the Russian government's actions in violation of international law and human rights. We therefore demand that the work be stopped immediately."
Nord Stream 2 is supposed to transport gas from Russia to Germany and is particularly controversial in Eastern Europe.
The US government is also against the project, arguing that Europe is becoming dependent on Russia.
Since the poisoning of the Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny, who is being treated in a Berlin hospital, tensions between Moscow and Berlin have increased significantly.
A construction freeze on Nord Stream 2 is also being discussed in connection with possible sanctions against Russia.
Icon: The mirror
