The Greens Demand Transparency: Push for Inquiry into Merkel's Nord Stream Approval
Greens Advocate for Formal Investigation into Chancellor Merkel's Nord Stream Accord
Wanna know the real tea on Angela Merkel's Nord Stream deal with Russia? It turns out her involvement may have been more hands-on than we thought, and the Greens are demanding an investigative committee to shed some light on the situation. They're fed up with vague responses from the Chancellery and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Recent investigations have revealed that Merkel, despite internal warnings and Russia's annexation of Crimea, didn't intervene in the sale of German gas storage facilities to Gazprom, a Russian state-owned company, back in 2015. This revelation comes from internal documents from the Chancellery, which, by the way, were only shared after a legal battle. And, get this, Merkel was also deeply involved behind the scenes in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, a move that's become a symbol of Germany's naive Russia policy.
According to Green Party leader, Banaszak, "The fact that it took intensive research to expose Merkel's role in Nord Stream 2 shows two things. Firstly, there are some hidden findings about political decisions, responsibility, and lessons from past mistakes." And secondly, those responsible and their inner circle still don't seem too concerned about transparency. The Greens believe that without a deeper investigation, we're blocking the opportunity for parliament and the public to learn from these mistakes and prepare for the future.
Merkel Broke Her Oath, Says Kellner
Michael Kellner, a Green Party politician, believes that "the flimsy house of cards about the supposedly private economic project, Nord Stream" has finally collapsed with recent findings. He asserts that Merkel knew about the risks and chose to ignore them, thus betraying her oath of office to protect the country.
Chancellery Stands Its Ground
The Chancellery, on the other hand, maintains that it saw no basis to prohibit the deal, despite acknowledging the risks involved. According to documents from the Chancellery, Merkel was informed in 2015 that part of BASF/Wintershall's involvement in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would involve an "asset swap," with Gazprom receiving a stake in Germany’s gas trading and Wintershall getting a stake in West Siberian gas fields. The Chancellery, however, claimed it saw no legal basis to prohibit the deal.
Mixed Feelings
Economic politician Jörg Cezanne criticized the sale of gas storage facilities to Gazprom as a "dramatic mistake," necessitating a thorough examination of the security and energy policy misjudgments that underlay the decisions at the time. He expects the new Chancellor to take action in clarifying the past actions of Merkel's administration.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story!
Sources: ntv.de
[1]: There's currently no specific information about an ongoing investigative committee regarding the Nord Stream deal and the sale of gas storage facilities to Gazprom.[2]: Merkel's role in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been a point of criticism, but no official investigative committee has been announced yet.[5]: Merkel's endorsement of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the sale of gas storage facilities have been discussed in geopolitical and energy policy contexts.
- The Green Party's demand for an investigative committee highlights their concern over the potential influence of the finance sector and the energy industry in political decisions related to the Nord Stream deal and the sale of gas storage facilities to Gazprom.
- As the controversy surrounding Merkel's role in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the sale of gas storage facilities to Gazprom continues, the industry and finance sectors are under scrutiny for their potential roles in these high-profile deals.
- The call for transparency in the Nord Stream deal and the sale of gas storage facilities to Gazprom extends beyond the realm of politics, reaching into the realms of general news and international energy policy discussions.
