The Union foreign expert Norbert Röttgen had previously suggested that Schwesig resign if the facts described in the media apply.
(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)
Berlin Green politicians are calling for a review of the role of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) in connection with the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“The interweaving between the Schwerin state government and the Russian state-owned company Gazprom was always devastating and must now finally be dealt with,” said the federal chairman of the Greens, Omid Nouripour, the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Tuesday).
Schwesig’s previous statements are not enough. “A “Oops, it was probably a mistake” won’t do.”
The chairman of the Europe Committee in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, also called for an in-depth investigation. “How the government in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania became the henchman of Nord Stream 2 in order to promote the construction of the Baltic Sea pipeline urgently needs to be clarified,” the Greens politician told the newspaper.
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The entire “failed German Russia policy” must be worked through – including the role of the CDU, he said. The Union foreign expert Norbert Röttgen had previously suggested that Schwesig resign if the facts described in the media apply.
SPD MP accuses CDU of mendacity
The spokesman for the East regional group of the SPD parliamentary group, Frank Junge, accused the CDU of mendacity. “If you consider that over the last 16 years Chancellor (Angela) Merkel has shaped our country’s foreign policy towards Russia and if you take into account that in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the coalition of SPD and CDU supported the settlement of Nord Stream 2 and the founding of the climate foundation together from the beginning, then calls for resignation from the ranks of the CDU to Manuela Schwesig are very surprising,” said Junge of the “Rheinische Post” (Tuesday). The allegations sounded not only far-fetched, but also mendacious.
Nord Stream 2 AG with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom were directly involved in the preparations for the foundation as majority shareholders.
(Photo: dpa)
At the beginning of 2021, a climate foundation was set up in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to help complete the pipeline despite threats of US sanctions. As recently published documents show, Nord Stream 2 AG, with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom as the majority shareholder, was directly involved in the preparations for the foundation.
>> Read more: Nord Stream 2 – Greens criticize federal advertising to the US government
State Interior Minister Christian level (SPD) admitted that as Energy Minister at the time, he was in regular contact with Nord Stream 2 while working on the statutes and incorporated the company’s wishes.
Schwesig also admitted that there were talks, but rejected reports that Nord Stream 2 had been in charge of founding the foundation. “We made our own decisions in the state government and in the state parliament and nobody else.”
More: Internal files show proximity to Gazprom – How Schwerin became the “outpost of the Kremlin”.