Das Erste: a split is outlined in the “traffic light” coalition of the Federal Republic of Germany due to the “Nord Stream-2”
Photo: @ NSP2_Rossiya
In the “traffic light” coalition of Germany, which has formed a new government, there has been a split due to disagreements over the “Nord Stream-2”. This was reported by the Das Erste TV channel.
The author of the material, Corinna Emunds, predicted that the gas pipeline would be a serious test of strength for the new government in Germany, since the Greens spoke out strongly against it, while the Social Democrats (SPD) supported it.
Nord Stream 2 – like an elephant in a china shop between the parties of the traffic light
Corinna Emunds columnist for Das Erste
Emunds added that German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock found herself in a difficult situation due to Russian-German relations, which reached their lowest point due to the situation around Ukraine. A new foreign policy course is now required, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the government are being extremely reticent.
The author of the material noted that at present it is extremely important to have a unified position of the coalition in foreign policy, for which an internal consensus is required.
Expert of the German Council on Foreign Relations Stefan Meister believes that the statement of Chancellor Scholz at the EU summit that the gas pipeline is a private project in the German economy may lead to a split in the coalition.
On December 17, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the suspension of certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline a non-political decision. He noted that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project in which private investments have been made. Scholz stressed that the decision on the project's compliance with European legislation was made by the German regulator without being guided by policy.
Nord Stream 2 will be a test of strength
Janis Kluge, an expert from the Science and Politics Foundation, pointed out that the coalition is under pressure from outside and from within. In his opinion, Nord Stream 2 is a strength test for the new government.
It's a wedge in the coalition that can still create tensions
Janis Klugexpert of the Science and Politics Foundation
Omid Nuripur, an expert on the foreign policy of the Greens, said that Germany still expects a dialogue with Russia, since there is no other way.
Social Democratic MP Niels Schmidt, who acted as the official representative of his party, did not rule out that Nord Stream 2 will become part of the sanctions.
Experts note that the pipeline has not yet been launched, as tests for a European permit are still ongoing. However, in the event of a potential military clash between Russia and Ukraine, it will be practically impossible to keep it in working order.
Earlier it was reported that the United States is pushing Germany to stop the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 project. According to the American publication Bloomberg, the new government of Germany at the moment has not expressed readiness for such a step.
On December 24, US senators Democrat Jean Shahin and Republican Rob Portman called on the administration of US President Joe Biden to work closely with the new German government to suspend the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. In their opinion, the administration in Washington should also not call on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to agree “to any concessions outside the Minsk agreements process.”
