Atom in German

Angela Merkel is developing Germany's energy strategy until 2020

Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel held a meeting in Berlin last night with leading representatives of the German economy, at which topical issues of shaping the country's energy policy for the medium term - until 2020 - were discussed. Already on the eve of this energy summit, as it is called here, it was clear that the most piquant topic would be the future of nuclear energy. Christian Democrats are pushing for a “nuclear exit”. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder approved a policy of phasing out nuclear power plants over 30 years. Now the Social Democrats in Angela Merkel's current coalition government are resisting her intention to reverse the decisions of the country's former leadership. According to Frau Merkel, Germany's energy strategy should be finalized within this year.

No matter how much the chancellor tried to avoid open confrontation on the issue of “to be or not to have a nuclear power plant” during the preparation of yesterday’s energy summit, she was never able to achieve this completely. As a result, it was decided not to place taboos on certain sensitive issues. “Of course, all topics will be on the agenda, and, of course, there will be an exchange of opposing views on certain issues,” Frau Merkel emphasized yesterday before the start of the meeting. And the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Jurgen Rutgers, who also belongs to to the Christian Democrats, said: “Nuclear energy is back on the agenda, no matter what the Social Democrats say about it.” The main argument of the Christian Democrats is that the “red-green” government of Gerhard Schröder has not responded convincingly. to the question of how the loss of 30% of the total energy production in Germany should be compensated if the country abandons nuclear power plants.

The issue of returning to peaceful nuclear energy in Germany is gradually moving out of political debate and into the realm of discussion among energy industry experts. The head of the board of the largest German energy concern E.ON, Wulf Bernotat, who at yesterday's meeting with Angela Merkel was one of the main proponents of discussing current issues of nuclear energy, said before the meeting in an interview with the newspaper Die Welt: “We will not be able to discuss either economic or environmental issues if we remove the issue of nuclear energy from the agenda.” However, he does not have too much hope that the energy summit will achieve concrete results overnight: “I would be very happy if in Berlin we were able to agree on a road map for the development of an energy concept. If all participants in this process are active work in this direction, then we could achieve results this year.” According to the head of E.ON, firstly, Germany needs a “mixture of different energy sources.” Secondly, it is necessary to deepen partnerships with countries producing energy resources. at the political and business level. And thirdly, energy in Europe must be used more efficiently. Mr. Bernotat criticized the protectionist measures of individual EU countries, which, as he noted, hinder the development of a single intra-European energy market “If the protectionists succeed. gain the upper hand,” the head of E.ON emphasized, “then Europe is in danger of falling behind regions such as North America or China.”

The results of Mrs. Merkel's negotiations on nuclear energy issues were not known at the time the issue was signed.

Yuri Shpakov, Berlin