As of: February 27, 2024, 5:30 p.m
By: Georg Anastasiadis
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Federal Minister of Economics Habeck presented plans for underground CO₂ storage on the high seas.
He is not only criticized for the project from within the Greens' own ranks.
A comment from Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.
© Monika Skolimowska/dpa/Klaus Haag
Because he supports plans for underground CO₂ storage in the North Sea, Economics Minister Habeck is facing waves of criticism.
But the Greens have to decide whether they want to give in to the Fundis or pursue pragmatic politics, comments Georg Anastasiadis.
Robert Habeck doesn't have it easy either.
Now the man of pain in German politics has its own green base on its hands, as well as a number of environmental associations and climate politicians from the SPD and the Left.
The reason: The climate minister wants to pave the way for CO2 capture and compression of carbon in the North Sea.
He wants to neutralize hard-to-avoid Co2 emissions that arise, for example, from the production of cement, lime or waste incineration.
According to recent surveys, the Greens have fallen in popularity rankings
Habeck calls the entry into the new technology, which is also being carried out by the Scandinavian countries, which are exemplary in terms of environmental policy, “pragmatic and responsible”.
And that's what he is.
For this, the minister even risks conflict with his own party.
This is exactly what Habeck had avoided when he decided to shut down the last nuclear reactors despite his own concerns.
The nuclear power plant decision shortly after the outbreak of a veritable energy crisis was not good for the climate, for him personally, or for the acceptance of the Greens in society, as his Green colleague Cem Özdemir just admitted with disarming honesty.
Added to this was the less sensitive heating law, as well as the general rush to make up for what had been missed during the Merkel years and to brush aside people's concerns.
But with its brisk pace of change, the Eco Party has overwhelmed many citizens.
According to the Allensbach study, the Greens promptly fell from first to second to last place in the ranking of the most popular parties since 2019.
The ugly and unacceptable recent disruptive actions against green politicians are unfortunately an expression of this.
Now the party leadership is faced with a choice: they can do right by their fundis, for example with the asylum payment card - or try to become better connected to the center again with more pragmatic policies.
George Anastasiadis