Schwesig defends advocacy for building Nord Stream 2
Created: 04/20/2022, 18:39
Manuela Schwesig (SPD), Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, speaks.
© Jens Büttner/dpa
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) has rejected criticism of her support for the construction of the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 2 and referred to the long-standing broad political consensus for the project.
"For many decades, Germany has relied heavily on natural gas from Russia for its energy supply," explained Schwesig on Wednesday in Schwerin.
Schwerin - The project was always supported by the federal government from Union and SPD.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) recently even negotiated personally with US President Joe Biden.
In doing so, Schwesig was reacting to the ongoing criticism of the long-term pro-Russia course of the government she led, which she had only changed abruptly with the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
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The Baltic Sea pipeline was one of the largest infrastructure projects in recent years, with Lubmin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the landing point.
“It is absolutely clear that a state government and also the Prime Minister are holding talks with investors.
Always in the interest of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania," said the head of government in Schwerin.
It was about economic power, jobs in the country, the interests of the ports and the energy supply of the future.
"But also about environmental protection and the protection of domestic companies from sanctions," she explained, referring to the controversial climate protection foundation.
The foundation, set up by the state in early 2021, was intended to promote climate projects, but at the same time had an economic part managed by Nord Stream, which supported the completion of the gas pipeline while circumventing US sanctions.
As recently published documents show, Nord Stream 2 AG, with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom as the majority shareholder, was directly involved in the preparations for the foundation.
Top politicians from the Greens called for a systematic review of all contacts between the government in Schwerin and the Gazprom subsidiary.
The CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen suggested that Schwesig resign if media reports about close ties with Nord Stream 2 were correct.
dpa
