The idea of introducing a temporary speed limit and continuing to operate the remaining nuclear reactors, also for a limited period, makes sense.
This limits Putin's blackmail potential.
A commentary by Georg Anastasiadis.
You could call it horse-trading, but also - more positively - a solidarity of society as a whole: The conservative parties Union and FDP accept the temporary introduction of a speed limit, in return the Greens and SPD swallow the toad of an - equally limited - continued operation of the last three German nuclear reactors.
That would be reasonable.
The only important thing is that we finally take off all ideological blinkers.
Because that's the most important thing: we have to show Putin that Germany and Europe are united and ready to respond to Russia's gas economic war with unpopular measures.
That's much better than – as the CSU is trying to do now – shaking up the sanctions.
Putin's goal is to sow maximum discord in Germany and Europe
We should all know Putin by now, including Markus Söder: His goal is to sow maximum discord in Germany and Europe.
To this end, he leaves the gas tap open just enough for our parties and society to quarrel over the question of how decisively we should react to a possible Moscow gas embargo.
The gas will only be finally turned off (and only then) when Putin sees his hour has come – when he can be sure that he will throw Germany into chaos.
Conversely, the more conscientiously Europe prepares for a gas shortage, the lower Putin's potential for blackmail and the lower the likelihood that he will risk a total break.
After all, there is a lot at stake for Russia too: if the Kremlin extorts gas so much that Europe has to accelerate the energy transition even more and leave the fossil-fuel age behind even faster, then Russia will have lost its most important sales market forever.
Then Putin would have gambled his terrible war again.
