BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - A few weeks before the parliamentary elections, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has countered accusations regarding the nuclear phase-out in the Bundestag's committee of inquiry. The Green Party's candidate for chancellor defended himself against accusations that he and his ministry had not examined the continued operation of the remaining nuclear power plants in Germany in 2022, in the wake of the energy crisis that followed the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, in an open-ended manner. "There were no thinking prohibitions," Habeck said.

The continued operation of the nuclear power plants had been examined without ideological preconceptions and with an open mind. The only question was whether it would help to ensure a secure supply and whether it could be implemented.

The CDU and FDP accuse Habeck and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) of not examining the continued operation "openly" and "without bias", but rather of having decided on it for ideological reasons. This has contributed to higher electricity prices, they say.

Habeck goes on the offensive

Habeck was the penultimate witness before the U-committee before Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was summoned. The Green Party candidate for Chancellor appeared combative and went on the offensive several times. He accused the previous coalition governments, led by the CDU and CSU, of leading Germany into a dangerous dependency on Russian gas. It was only the current coalition government that stopped the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia in 2022, which would have further exacerbated the situation. In fact, the actions of the former federal government after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 should be investigated. The looming gas shortage in 2022 was used by some actors to revise the nuclear phase-out.

A longer-term lifetime extension would have lasted until 2024 at the insistence of the FDP, said Habeck. "That would have meant a return to nuclear power." According to the information available at the time, the nuclear power plants would have had to be allowed to run for another three to five years with new fuel rods.

Habeck countered the reproaches of committee members. He accused committee chairman Stefan Heck (CDU) of not being able to back up statements with files and of having summarized evidence incorrectly.

Nuclear power plants to run longer?

After the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the German government was alarmed due to the high dependence on Russian fossil fuels. In addition, demands were made to keep the three remaining nuclear power plants online beyond the end of 2022. In 2011, after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, the then black-yellow government had decided on a gradual German nuclear phase-out by the end of 2022.

What would have been the point of continuing to operate them?

In March 2022, a joint review by the economics and environment ministries found that extending the remaining nuclear power plants' operating lives could only make a "very limited contribution to solving the problem, and at very high economic cost, with constitutional and safety risks."

Habeck explained that as recently as spring 2022, the bosses of the three operators of the nuclear power plants that were still running at the time had said that with the existing fuel elements, further operation beyond the end of the year and thus in winter would only be possible if they were shut down in the summer. The consequence would not have been additional electricity, however. The consequence would have been to use more gas to produce electricity in the summer. However, that would have been risky due to the lack of Russian gas supplies.

Habeck: "The house was on fire"

With regard to the energy crisis, Habeck said that the possible continued operation of nuclear power plants was only one of several issues at the time. "The hut was on fire." He pointed, for example, to the purchase of gas and the construction of liquefied natural gas terminals on the German coast. He said that he had made many decisions in the "existing emergency" during the crisis year. He said that they had been successful in protecting the public and the economy.

In the summer, the assessment of the electricity generated by nuclear power plants changed. The situation on the energy markets had worsened. In addition, the operators of the nuclear power plants had gradually corrected their statements about potential electricity volumes, said Habeck. Contrary to the information provided by the operators in March, additional electricity would be available if the plants were operated in stages. Habeck then proposed keeping two of the three reactors in reserve until mid-April 2023 and using them for electricity generation if necessary.

Traffic light dispute

The last three nuclear power plants in Germany ultimately ran a few months longer than originally planned – the nuclear phase-out was postponed from December 31, 2022 to April 15, 2023. Prior to that, there had been a dispute within the coalition government at the time, and Chancellor Scholz had put his foot down on October 17, 2022.

Regarding a meeting between Scholz, then-Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and him the day before, Habeck said that Lindner had said at the time that he would have to be forced to accept a decision that did not result in a long-term extension of the remaining German nuclear power plants' operating life.

The dispute in the fall of 2022 revolved around this: the Green Party wanted to keep the two southern German nuclear power plants, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2, in reserve until April 15 and to continue to use them for electricity generation if necessary. The third remaining nuclear power plant, Emsland, was to be shut down permanently on January 1, 2023. In view of the sharp rise in energy prices, the FDP demanded that all three power plants continue to operate until 2024 and, if necessary, that nuclear power plants that had already been decommissioned be reactivated.

Lindner said on Wednesday in the committee that the willingness of the Greens to make undogmatic decisions on the issue of nuclear energy had reached its limit.

The CDU and FDP see the move as a deception

Before the meeting began, committee chairman Heck accused Habeck of never having an open-ended review. "On the contrary: it was a large-scale deception." He said that in the ministries of economics and the environment, there had been repeated indications and technical assessments by speakers and heads of departments on the question of whether nuclear power plants should remain on the grid for longer. He said that when positive assessments reached the political level, they were modified to fit the political direction and ideology of Habeck.

FDP politician Frank Schäffler said it had become clear that the Greens had led the country "by the nose". They had repeatedly thrown a spanner in the works, he said with regard to the continued operation of nuclear power plants.

Numerous witnesses have already been questioned by the committee in recent weeks and months. A final report, which is to include statements from all parliamentary groups, is to be submitted to the President of the Bundestag in February./faa/DP/stw