Kubicki wants to open Nord Stream 2 – Green mockery and FDP anger follows
Created: 08/19/2022, 1:39 p.m
By: Julia Schöneseiffen
FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki is calling for Nord Stream 2 to be put into operation. He is not only criticized by the Greens, but also by his own party.
Berlin – In order to improve the gas supply, the deputy FDP federal chairman Wolfgang Kubicki has called for the commissioning of Nord Stream 2.
"We should open Nord Stream 2 as soon as possible to fill our gas storage for the winter," he told the
editorial network Germany (RND)
.
Kubicki argued that it was "no more immoral" to get Russian gas this way than it is through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. There is "no good reason not to open Nord Stream 2."
If Russia's President Vladimir Putin then stops supplying gas, Germany has lost nothing.
"If more gas reaches us in this way, perhaps even the entire contractually guaranteed quantity, that will help people not have to freeze in winter and our industry will not suffer serious damage," emphasized Kubicki.
Ensuring this is the top priority of the federal government.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the German government decided not to put Nord Stream 2 into operation.
With his demand, the FDP politician not only encountered criticism from outside his party.
His statements also caused outrage within the FDP.
Kubicki demands the opening of Nord Stream: Green politicians react with ridicule
The Greens criticize Kubicki's demand for the opening of Nord Stream 2. On Twitter, the deputy leader of the Greens, Konstantin von Notz, mocked: "Ah crass!
Putin didn't even notice that there was still a pipe with Russian gas lying around in MV.
If we are very quiet now and tap into those under the radar - then the gas problem will be solved.
Brilliant!
That no one has thought of it yet!?!"
Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) calls for the opening of Nord Stream 2 and is thus encountering opposition from his own party.
© Frank Molter/dpa
Nord Stream 2: Kubicki's demand is causing criticism in his own party
Criticism of Kubicki also came from within his own party.
FDP parliamentary group leader Gyde Jensen wrote on Twitter: "If there is war in Europe, we must stand together".
Nord Stream 2 had “always been a solo effort” with which Germany “offended our Eastern European neighbors”.
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The FDP parliamentary group seems to be in agreement, because FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr also rejected the demand by party deputy Wolfgang Kubicki for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to be opened in the Baltic Sea.
“In these weeks we are discussing intensively how to avert the impending energy crisis in winter.
As the FDP parliamentary group, we have made a number of proposals in this regard.
The commissioning of Nord Stream 2 is not one of them," Dürr told the German Press Agency on Friday.
The opening of the pipeline from Russia to Western Pomerania "would send the wrong signal to our European partners".
On the other hand, it would be right to extend the service life of the three remaining nuclear power plants as a first step, Dürr demanded.
"That would significantly ease the situation on the energy market and would also be an important sign of solidarity with our European neighbors," he said.
Nord Stream 2: Trouble in the FDP
The FDP politician Michael Theurer also sees the "commissioning of Nord Stream 2 as the completely wrong signal".
Theurer also wrote on Twitter: "The fact that Germany simply ignored the massive concerns of its European neighbors and NATO allies for years was a serious mistake that shattered a lot of foreign and security policy."
Commissioning of Nord Stream 2: Young liberals react with rejection
The FDP youth organization Junge Liberale (Julis) also reacted with sharp rejection to Kubicki's demand.
"It is completely incomprehensible to me how one can come up with such a bizarre demand," said the federal chairman of the Julis, Franziska Brandmann, of the dpa.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging an energy war against Germany, said Brandmann, who is also a member of the FDP federal executive board.
“Anyone who thinks in this situation that they want to lift the sanctions imposed on Russia is making a deeply illogical argument.
It is precisely this kind of naivety towards Russia that has brought us into this precarious position of massive energy dependence on Russia.”
Kubicki's demand can in no way be reconciled with the decision of the FDP.
Brandmann: "We expect Wolfgang Kubicki, as the deputy federal chairman of the FDP, to respect this in the future and to leave energy and foreign policy odysseys to those who understand Putin."
Kubicki demands the opening of Nord Stream 2: AfD supports the opinion of the FDP Vice
On the other hand, praise for Kubicki came from AfD European politician Maximilian Krah.
On Twitter, he welcomed the fact that Kubicki was taking over "our foreign policy position".
"Start Nord Stream 2!", AfD boss Tino Chrupalla also demanded.
But criticism for the demand to open Nord Stream 2 is not only hailing within Germany.
The topic is also making waves abroad.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: “Calls by some German politicians to launch NS2 for a while and later close it are completely irrational.
It's akin to drug addiction when someone says, "Just one last time!" without realizing the devastating consequences of each 'last time'.
Look for Russian guest kills!”
The commissioning of Nord Stream 2 has not yet been decided, but a gas levy to ensure a stable gas supply has been decided.
(jsch with dpa)
