IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann doesn’t believe in the oil and gas embargo

Berlin In the opinion of IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann, Germany cannot cope with an import ban on Russian gas and oil. “An immediate embargo for gas, hard coal and oil would be counterproductive and would damage the economy and consumers in Germany much more than Russia,” said the trade unionist in an interview with the Handelsblatt. It is clear that Germany must diversify its energy imports more. “But that doesn’t happen overnight.”

Hofmann also criticized the EU’s foreign trade policy with regard to the supply of energy and raw materials. In its efforts to find a variety of sources of raw materials, it should perhaps have paid more attention to poorer countries and their development opportunities, emphasized the first chairman of Germany’s largest trade union. “Instead, we watched as country after country became dependent on China because they had their infrastructure expanded on credit.”