Ploß insists on nuclear power: "Greens prevent reasonable solutions"
Created: 09/18/2022, 09:12
By: Jens Kiffmeier
Nuclear power as a lifeline: Hamburg's CDU leader Christoph Ploß wants to extend the lifetime of nuclear power plants - even beyond 2024.
Despite the outcry of the Greens.
An interview.
Hanover/Hamburg – Negligent and straying: In the quarrel with the Greens about the use of nuclear power, the Union has sharpened the tone significantly.
One of the spokesmen: Christoph Ploß.
The CDU head of state from Hamburg is vehemently demanding the extension of the nuclear power plant running times.
This week he even overshot the mark a little when he railed against the shutdown of the three remaining reactors under the right-wing populist hashtag #GruenerMist.
Nuclear power in Germany: Christoph Ploss (CDU) is pushing for the continued operation of the nuclear power plant
But whether accidentally or not - it was a new high point in the fundamental dispute that has been raging in Germany for weeks.
Despite the gas crisis, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) only wants to keep two of the three remaining nuclear reactors in an emergency reserve in winter.
The Emsland nuclear power plant is scheduled to go offline at the end of the year.
In April 2023 it will definitely be over.
But the Union considers this a huge mistake - and therefore attacks Habeck and the Greens sharply.
Insists on continued operation of the nuclear power plant: Hamburg's state chief Christoph Ploß (CDU).
© Armin Weigel/Britta Pedersen/dpa/Montage/
Christoph Ploß explained to 24hamburg.de
on the sidelines of the CDU party conference in Hanover, at which the Union wanted to reposition itself after the messed-up federal election in 2021
, and why this shouldn’t be campaign noise and what benefits Germany still has from nuclear power .
Christoph Ploß: Hamburg's CDU state chief wants the nuclear power plants to continue operating
At the party conference, the CDU had a hard discussion about the women's quota or the social year - are these the right accents in the current situation?
I have campaigned for a compulsory social year and am glad that the CDU decided to do so.
Especially in times of crisis we have to strengthen social cohesion.
That's what the community year is about.
So this debate is highly topical.
But it is also clear that in times of energy crisis and inflation, people have more important problems than the women's quota in the CDU.
The CDU has passed an application on energy policy.
Is that enough in response to people's concerns?
The question of whether we will have enough electricity and gas in the coming winter is an existential one for many people.
That is why we are calling, among other things, for the operating lives of the three nuclear power plants to be extended.
This alone can supply ten million households with electricity.
We will continue to put pressure on the traffic light coalition in the coming weeks.
The sensitivities of the Greens must not be more important than the needs of the people in our country.
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Your critics accuse the Union of a bogus debate because the remaining reactors can only contribute a maximum of five percent to the electricity requirement.
As I said, it's about ten million households!
The Economics Minister says that every kilowatt hour counts.
Then you can't shut down three nuclear power plants without an emergency.
CDU against Greens: Is Robert Habeck clearing up nuclear power behind Union?
Ploss thinks that is pure ideology
But the Economics Minister also says that Germany doesn't have to be in this emergency and that he has to clean up what the CDU has messed up over the past 16 years.
Shouldn't the Union have been a bit more honest at the party congress?
Such party-political polemics are out of the question in times of crisis.
In view of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, everyone must recognize that mistakes have also been made in recent years.
This means?
We shouldn't have phased out nuclear energy and coal-fired power generation at the same time.
We now see that we urgently need nuclear energy alongside renewables.
True, at that time no one could have guessed that Russia would attack Ukraine.
Nevertheless, each party must be prepared to adapt its own policies to changes.
After this epochal break, people expect pragmatic answers.
What the Greens are doing on the subject of nuclear power is pure ideology.
Recently, however, the Union has been working on the Greens in a conspicuously loud manner. Wouldn't it be better for her to come up with more of her own forward-thinking proposals - instead of just complaining?
What is decisive is not party politics, but the question of where the electricity capacities come from.
The traffic light parties say: Get out of nuclear power.
Get out of gas.
Instead, they want to rely on coal.
But that is very harmful to the climate and not enough.
The Greens prevent the sensible solution of relying on nuclear energy and renewables.
It is the task of the opposition to state this clearly.
Lifetimes of nuclear power plants: Christoph Ploss advocates an extension beyond 2024
So nuclear energy beyond 2024?
Yes, we are assuming three to five years.
The nuclear power plants generate safe and base load capable CO2-neutral electricity.
Therefore, we must not close any option.
I believe that we should continue to rely on a combination of nuclear energy and renewable energies for a long time to achieve climate protection goals and ensure energy security.
Habeck is seen as a culprit in her party. Should the chancellor relieve him of responsibility for energy policy?
Robert Habeck is currently giving a very weak picture.
He shows a ignorance about simple economic matters that is shocking for a minister and is responsible for the decision not to extend the life of the nuclear power plants.
In my view, Olaf Scholz should have intervened long ago.
This leadership weakness of the Federal Chancellor harms our country.