“Definitely 1,000 new wind turbines!” Söder amazes with a plea on ZDF – and compares the Free State with FC Bayern

Created: 08/28/2022, 18:28

By: Florian Naumann

CSU boss Markus Söder on Sunday at the ZDF "summer interview" with Shakuntala Banerjee.

© Daniel Karmann/dpa

Markus Söder promises hundreds of new wind turbines in Bavaria on ZDF.

The CSU boss expects an election success in the coming year - and reprimands Robert Habeck.

Nuremberg/Munich – For CSU boss Markus Söder, too, the energy crisis in the Ukraine war became the dominant topic in the ZDF “summer interview”.

Söder was on two tracks: On the one hand, he very fundamentally reprimanded the course of the traffic light government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).

On the other hand, he not only praised Bavaria's role in the expansion of renewable energies in big words - Söder made a promise in terms of wind energy that he might not have crossed his lips a few months ago.

Söder reprimands Habeck in the "summer interview": CSU boss sees "danger" for Germany

"Putin is playing a game with us and the question is whether we are properly prepared for this game," said Bavaria's Prime Minister in the conversation that ZDF recorded on Sunday in the German National Museum in Nuremberg.

"There is already a risk that we will face significant upheavals and problems." Prices exploded, the supply situation became more difficult.

So far, despite extensive trips by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to Qatar or Canada, there has been no adequate substitute for Russian gas.

At the same time, Russia is taking in more money from Germany than before the crisis.

“Germany has made a decision, namely to supply fewer weapons, but to take a different approach to energy.

But now Germany, the German federal government, has to find a way that our country doesn't suffer so much," said Söder.

Almost at the same time, Habeck was able to announce positive news about the filling level of German gas storage facilities.

ZDF wanted to broadcast Söder's "summer interview" on Sunday at 7:10 p.m.

Wind-Söder on ZDF: "Ultimately over 1,000 new wind turbines!"

Söder defended Bavaria's approach to the expansion of renewable energies, which the Greens recently scolded.

“Bavaria provides the largest share of renewable energies in Germany.

That's just a fact." The Free State is the leader among the federal states when it comes to expansion.

 "We're doing more with the wind now, and we definitely want to set up over 1,000 new wind turbines in the end," added Söder.

It was precisely the bold naming of what felt like a high number that came as a surprise: for a long time, the CSU had identified wind turbines as an object of hatred by the Bavarian population and accordingly slowed down expansion.

Last year there was even a dispute about the future of wind power in Söder's "Bavaria coalition".

The state parliament Greens had repeatedly identified inaction and pure lip service from Söder's state government.

Remarkably, Söder had stuck to parts of the distance regulation for wind turbines when presenting an energy concept in May - and warned of a lot of arguments and discord "in the villages" in the event that the requirements were over.

Söder now emphasized that there are also plans for natural CO₂ storage in moors, agricultural photovoltaics and the expansion of bioenergy and hydropower.

"We spend a billion euros a year on renewable energies," he said.

On the subject, the Free State is "like Bayern Munich in football - of course we still want to get better, but we don't even see the others there." Söder's former CSU Minister of Transport in Berlin, Andreas Scheuer, also brought the new building on Sunday nuclear power plants come into play.

In view of a possible power shortage in Bavaria, continued operation of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant was recently discussed.

Söder in the ZDF "summer interview": CSU boss believes in election success - but not in an absolute majority

According to Söder, his CSU is well prepared for the state elections next year.

"Bavaria is doing better than all other federal states," said Söder in the ZDF "summer interview".

"We're even doing so well that we're paying nine billion in state financial equalization to others," emphasized the CSU party leader.

"So far we have guided Bavaria well through the crises," said Söder.

According to estimates by the State Office for Health and Food Safety, the Bavarian government saved the lives of 130,000 people.

“My only goal is for us to get through the next crisis well.

I think we will do that better than many others.”

Söder currently considers an absolute majority - as the CSU was once able to get in Bavaria - to be neither feasible nor desirable.

An absolute majority seems more like hubris these days, said Söder.

Bavaria has the special situation that the current coalition partner Freie Wahler picks up part of the votes from the CSU camp.

Polls recently saw the CSU actually far from the former desired goals.

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