Robert Habeck praised his party on Friday for making insanely difficult decisions in the interest of the country insanely quickly. A little later, the Greens met the next one: They are now officially in favor of the last nuclear power plants in the south not being taken off the grid on New Year’s Eve as originally planned, but, if necessary, only in mid-April. It is a tough decision for the party whose purpose and existence is to abolish nuclear power. Of all the incredibly difficult decisions, probably the most difficult.
Habeck, who had asked for this extension in his capacity as Economics Minister, hardly had to accept any objections. This is remarkable in the light of past Green Party conferences, where executives like Joschka Fischer have been pelted with. There are two reasons for the new unity: First, the family reunion in Bonn reveals how much the Greens have become a Realo party. The party leadership is now more invoking the word “responsibility” than the word “environmental protection” – so as a governing party you have to do some things that you don’t like, but help the country in its deepest crisis. No one can explain (and sell) this inner turmoil better than Habeck, the embodiment of cuddly tornness.
Secondly, Habeck and the party leadership had the advantage that an external opponent helped them to unite the party: Christian Lindner. The FDP leader has just lost a state election and wants to make a name for himself by demanding that the last three nuclear power plants continue to operate until 2024. The Greens have now countered this demand with a “red line”, which looks more like a fortified border: Spring 2023 is just about right, 2024 is out of the question. The party speeches suggested that the green uneasiness about the small extension to 2023 fell far behind the displeasure about the large extension requests of the FDP. In this respect, Habeck can thank Lindner: He helped him to gather the Greens behind him.
The Greens have settled comfortably in their decision
Contrary to what Green party speakers like to claim, the Pro 2023/Contra 2024 decision is not free of ideology. If you are of the opinion that keeping old nuclear reactors operational will help the country during the crisis, then this applies in principle to every energy crisis winter. Then, after decades of using nuclear power, it is not entirely unreasonable to buy a few more fuel rods for 2024. But the Greens have settled comfortably into their decision: From their point of view, they have already moved enough with an extension until next spring, which is why the FDP should not demand any further concessions.
For Habeck, however, this party congress harmony has a price: He now has even less leeway to find a compromise with Lindner and Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the completely muddled nuclear dispute. At the latest when the Green Party Congress is over, Scholz, Habeck and Lindner must defuse the crisis so that they can finally devote themselves to the other challenges again.
Lindner triggered this nuclear dispute, which the coalition had actually already settled, with new demands. The Greens have now reiterated that their convictions do not allow for any further compromises. The chancellor, as Habeck would put it, had incredibly difficult talks.