“Government Endorsed”
Schwesig defends advocacy for Nord Stream 2
4/20/2022, 10:09 p.m
Criticism of Manuela Schwesig’s course on the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has not abated. Now the Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is defending her support for their construction. It was about economic power and jobs for the region, says the 47-year-old.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig has rejected criticism of her support for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline and referred to the long-standing broad political consensus for the project. “For many decades, Germany has relied heavily on natural gas from Russia for its energy supply,” explained Schwesig in Schwerin.
The project was always supported by the federal government from Union and SPD. Chancellor Angela Merkel recently even negotiated personally with US President Joe Biden. In doing so, Schwesig was reacting to the ongoing criticism of the long-term pro-Russia course of the government she led, which she had only changed abruptly with the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
“Always in the interest of the country”
The Baltic Sea pipeline was one of the largest infrastructure projects in recent years, with Lubmin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the landing point. “It is completely clear that a state government and also the Prime Minister are holding talks with investors. Always in the interest of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” said the Schwerin head of government. It was about economic power, jobs in the country, the interests of the ports and the energy supply of the future. “But also about environmental protection and protecting local companies from sanctions,” explained the SPD politician, referring to the controversial climate protection foundation.
The foundation, set up by the state in early 2021, was intended to promote climate projects, but at the same time had an economic part managed by Nord Stream, which supported the completion of the gas pipeline while circumventing 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.
Top politicians from the Greens called for a systematic review of all contacts between the government in Schwerin and the Gazprom subsidiary. The CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen suggested that Schwesig resign if media reports about close ties with Nord Stream 2 were correct.