Solz: Reassurances about energy sufficiency – “Germany can withstand the winter”

The chancellor Olaf Solz he asserted that Germany can withstand “the winter and the crises” and assured once again that “the energy supply for the winter is probably secured”.

Mr Scholz defended his government’s choices, which “move us away from the policy of unilateral dependence on Russia and China”, while he reiterated his commitment that Germany would continue to support Ukraine, categorically rejecting its criticism opposition for breaking promises.

Speaking in the Bundestag as part of the budget debate, the chancellor presented his government’s work just shy of one year, referring to 100 bills, with which the governing coalition has, he said, “routed, implemented and settled more than the governments of the previous twelve years” says the correspondent of APE-MBE.

Earlier Christian Democratic Party (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz criticized the government’s defense policy, stressing that the commitment to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP, as foreseen by the NATO, and had attacked the Minister of Economy Robert Hambeck, accusing him of “knowingly deceiving the citizens with the stress tests on the strength of the electricity network, while knowing in advance the … desired results”. “You don’t give a damn if something doesn’t fit your ideology,” Mr Mertz said, referring to the Greens and their stance on running power plants using nuclear energy.

“When I was listening to you, I was thinking of Alice in Wonderland. What is really big, you consider small. If you believe that we are the problem and not the work of the previous government, then you also believe in the talking white rabbits. Welcome to Wonderland,” Mr Scholz said in response to Mr Mertz, adding that it is his own coalition that is actually modernizing the country’s armed forces, unlike the CDU-led governments.

The report of the last 11 months

In an account of the last 11 months, Olaf Solz also referred to the single ticket of 9 euros/month for all MMMs, the introduction of the minimum wage at 12 euros/hour from October 1, but also the government’s latest legislative initiative to the introduction of a ceiling on the maximum price of natural gas and electricity, in the relief packages from the consequences of the energy crisis and in achieving the goal of filling 100% of natural gas storages before winter begins. “Germany is already resistant to winter and crises,” he underlined.

Referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Olaf Scholz underlined Germany’s commitment to coordination with EU and NATO partners and reiterated the commitment to continue providing weapons to Ukrainian forces, “as long as the barbaric, senseless, criminal war”. He again called on Russia to stop the war and recalled that during his recent visit to Beijing, President Xi Jinping condemned the possibility of using nuclear weapons. “And for that reason alone, the visit was worthwhile,” the chancellor said, pointing to criticism of his trip to China.