War in Ukraine: Bavaria is dependent on Russian raw materials - Aiwanger warns of "switched off" industry

Created: 03/11/2022, 22:27

By: Thomas Eldersch

Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (left) speaks out against stopping gas imports from Russia.

© Tobias Hase/dpa

Bavaria's economy cannot afford to end gas supplies.

Economics Minister Aiwanger therefore wants to continue purchasing raw materials from Russia.

The Ukraine news ticker.

• Every fifth company in Bavaria is feeling the effects of the Ukraine war

  (update from March 11).

• Bavaria's economy is dependent on raw materials from Russia.

• Around 27,000 refugees have already arrived in Bavaria*.

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from March 11:

According to the association, every fifth company in the Bavarian metal and electrical industry obtains deliveries directly or indirectly from Ukraine and Russia.

For individual companies, the supply chains were severely affected by the war.

"But the problems can suddenly spread across the board," said the association's chief executive Bertram Brossardt on Friday in Munich to the German press agency.

Accordingly, there is a high level of dependency on natural gas, iron ore and aluminum.

According to a current association survey, companies are particularly affected by sharply rising purchase prices.

62 percent demand a reduction in energy taxes and duties from politicians.

Every sixth company expects a sharp decline in sales.

Production stops would also have consequences for companies that are not directly economically affiliated with Ukraine or Russia.

"The longer the war drags on, the more the impairments will increase," said Brossardt.

War in Ukraine: Bavaria is dependent on Russian gas and oil

First report from March 10th:

Munich – The war in Ukraine* continues to rage unabated.

And the conflict on the eastern edge of Europe has long since arrived in the Bavarian state parliament.

In addition to taking in war refugees and providing local humanitarian aid, Bavarian politics is also concerned with the economic aspect of the crisis.

Above all, the dependence of Germany and especially Bavaria on Russian gas, oil and coal poses a major problem for the Free State.

Ukraine crisis: Bavaria's economy cannot cope with import bans from Russia

Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger* (Free Voters) is also clear on that.

He would be more than happy if Bavaria could do without imports from Russia.

But one is "unfortunately" dependent on the raw materials, "as bitter as that is and as painful as it is for us," he said today, Thursday (March 10) in the state parliament.

The gas storage tanks are only about a quarter full, Aiwanger continued.

Without imports of Russian gas, private households would soon be “out in the cold” and industry would then be “switched off”.

“Then our economy will be ready in a few weeks.

If we no longer had these supplies, our industry and economy would be at an end in a few weeks.”

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Aiwanger also criticized the CDU leader Merz in his speech.

He had demanded that the supply of Russian gas via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline be stopped.

Of course, one should never say never, "should things escalate massively politically, continue to escalate," said Aiwanger.

At the moment, however, this would be "fatal".

The Bavarian economy has “the cold sweat on the forehead if there really are supply bottlenecks”

He also criticized the "political naivety" of the past few years.

Not enough gas and coal supplies were taken care of.

Now you have been woken up from your sleep.

However, Bavaria as a business and industrial location cannot be converted completely to renewable energies in a hurry.

That's why Aiwanger wants to rely on coal or even nuclear power as a bridging technology*.

He called for timely reliable calculations as to whether there would really be no "blackout" in the Free State without nuclear power and gas power.

Video: How much does the war in Ukraine affect Bavaria?

Ukraine crisis: Söder visits central pandemic warehouse - 27 tons of aid from Bavaria

While Bavaria's Vice Prime Minister is worried about the economic consequences of the Ukraine war, the head of state Markus Söder* (CSU) visited the central pandemic camp (PZB) in Garching near Munich.

From here, 27 tons of relief supplies are to go to the Ukraine, but also to the neighboring countries of Moldova and Slovakia.

"We urgently need to improve the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and all affected crisis regions," said Söder.

"The victims of this terrible war need every help."

Medical protective goods were brought to Ukraine last week, said Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU).

Now the two neighboring countries should also be supported in accommodating refugees in emergency shelters.

"We are delivering 1,300 mattresses, blankets, pillows and other materials to build beds in emergency shelters." The technical relief organization has already transported surgical masks, protective suits and gloves to Ukraine.

The first truckloads of materials for accommodating refugees went to the Republic of Moldova on Thursday.

Delivery to Slovakia should follow shortly.

In the meantime, the Free State has also received an emergency request from Poland.

"There are also requests for materials for accommodating refugees," said Holetschek.

“We are currently checking what other goods we can deliver.

One thing is clear: These were just the first deliveries, more will follow.” The European countries must stand together.

"The PZB was designed for emergencies - if we don't use the goods now and help, then when," said Holetschek.

Bavaria has already taken in around 27,000 refugees from Ukraine

The number of refugees from Ukraine is also increasing in Bavaria.

The Ministry of the Interior says that 27,000 refugees have already registered across Bavaria since March 1st.

Today's numbers are not included.

So far, the authorities have registered almost 100,000 refugees across Germany.

According to figures from the Federal Police, 95,913 people have now been identified, said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior on Thursday in Berlin.