[Skybird]

Heartless cold reality tramples brutally on ideological opportunism.


Another Merkelian maximum-effect desaster: first destroying German nuclear power and engineering competence, rated to be amongst the globe's leading quality and security producers, and now u-turning again and having left germany depending on French nuclear power imports. Maximim losses for Germany, high profits for France, a shifting of the balance of power as well. Skrupelloses dummes Weibsstück.



Die Welt writes on Germany's apparent U-turn on nuclear power:


The subject was not on the agenda, but the advocates of nuclear power did not allow themselves to be dissuaded. At the emergency summit of the EU energy ministers, a show event at which the high energy prices should be publicized, the camp of the pro-nuclear countries spoke up anyway.

"Many delegations" have demanded that Brussels take a quick position on nuclear power, said the Slovenian Minister of Infrastructure Jernej Vrtovec on Tuesday afternoon after the meeting.

It is about a dispute that has been dividing the EU for months: is nuclear power a sustainable option in the fight against climate change? For the nuclear industry - above all the French - this determination determines the economic future. And for many countries it is about the energy mix for the coming decades.

The decision is part of the so-called taxonomy, a kind of green bible that is supposed to determine which investments are climate-friendly. In the years to come, the determination will have a major impact on where billions of investor money and EU funding will go - and where not.

And it will depend on how easily companies and states can finance new nuclear power plants, repositories and the infrastructure related to nuclear power.

No wonder that France has been vehemently advocating nuclear power in Brussels for years. Not only does the country's power supply depend largely on nuclear fission; the state also holds more than 80 percent of the highly indebted nuclear power plant operator EDF.

And the government wants to continue expanding nuclear power. According to the French government, President Emmanuel Macron wants to present concrete plans for new nuclear power plants in the next few weeks. Up to six new pressurized water reactors are planned.

Many billions are involved: EDF has been building such a reactor at the Flamanville site in Normandy since 2007; the costs on the breakdown site have meanwhile increased almost sixfold to a good 19 billion euros.

So far, other EU countries have resolutely rejected nuclear power; Alongside Austria and Luxembourg, where Europe's most resolute nuclear power opponents are based, Germany was also one of the most committed opponents at the EU level.
advertisement

But probably not anymore. Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently gave in at the summit of heads of state and government last Thursday and Friday.

This is how observers interpret at least an announcement by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, at the press conference after the summit. The politician announced there and in a Twitter message that she would submit a proposal for the EU sustainability label, which also includes nuclear power and gas.

"We also need a stable source, nuclear energy, and of course, in transition, natural gas," she said. "That is why we will present our proposal for the taxonomy."

This decision came as a surprise to observers, as Financial Markets Commissioner Mairead McGuinness had only said last week that the authority might take time to make the far-reaching decision by next year.

Apparently Merkel and Macron made a deal at the summit. The commission has always made it very clear that the authority will only make a determination for the taxonomy if Germany and France are in agreement on the issue, French government circles told WELT. It was apparently so far at Merkel's farewell summit.
New members in the pro nuclear power camp

In fact, Germany was largely sidelined in the dispute. At the beginning of the debate, two years ago, the camps between supporters and opponents of nuclear power were still balanced. However, the new, stricter EU climate targets and the sharp increases in energy prices in recent months have evidently led some countries to rethink. The nuclear proponents are now in the majority.

At the European level, France was able to poke around a number of states that also rely on nuclear power for climate protection. Finland is part of the fact that France is currently building an EPR reactor, as well as Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

Ministers from these countries had published a pro-nuclear appeal in WELT. Recently, Sweden and the Netherlands, where new nuclear power plants are being considered, have apparently also switched to the pro-nuclear camp.

The high energy prices and the dependence of many countries on natural gas also apparently contributed to this. In Germany, too, natural gas is seen as an important energy supplier in the transition to climate-neutral energy sources. But France had always threatened to veto if the Commission declared natural gas to be sustainable, but not nuclear power.

Von der Leyen's declaration makes it clear what Germany and France have agreed on: nuclear power will be considered sustainable for many decades, natural gas at least for the coming years of transition. Austria and Luxembourg were extremely angry after von der Leyen's statement, it is said in Brussels.

Nuclear opponents reacted disappointed. "Merkel has given up her resistance to the greenwashing of nuclear power, I don't know why," says Sven Giegold, an influential member of the Greens in the European Parliament. “With this she gave von der Leyen the green light. If von der Leyen now says that she will include atomic energy and gas in the taxonomy, the member states can no longer prevent her from doing so. "

In fact, the change is recorded in a so-called delegated act. The Member States can only object to this with a qualified majority; In this case, however, it hardly appears to be achievable. Giegold started a petition in response. The central demand: "The EU proposal must not be submitted before the new federal government is in office."