analysis
Status: 10/17/2022 10:25 p.m
In a letter to his ministers, Chancellor Scholz made it clear in the dispute over nuclear power: The three remaining reactors should be able to continue running until mid-April. But what about the house blessing in the coalition after this announcement?
decision or agreement?
The chancellor’s word of power in the nuclear dispute did not appear in front of television cameras, but in a letter to Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner – published shortly after 6 p.m. “Best regards” Olaf Scholz refers for the first time to his policy competence according to the rules of procedure of the federal government.
“The legal basis will be created to enable the power operation of the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland nuclear power plants beyond December 31, 2022 until April 15, 2023 at the latest,” he said in his decision. The chancellor pulled the ripcord in the traffic light dispute, in which the Greens Habeck and FDP leader Lindner seemed to be inextricably entangled.
What does that mean for the FDP?
FDP boss and finance minister Lindner rushed to social media with a positive interpretation. The proposal finds “the full support of the Free Democrats”. The Chancellor has now created clarity. “The continued use of the Emsland nuclear power plant is an important contribution to grid stability, electricity costs and climate protection.”
It is far from what the FDP wanted to push through. She wanted to keep all three nuclear power plants in operation until at least 2024. Now she has to swallow the earlier nuclear phase-out. But the party declared the chancellor’s decision a success, for example because Emsland, the third nuclear power plant, is to remain connected to the grid until spring.
“Originally, the Greens did not want this at all, then after several intermediate steps they finally only kept two southern German power plants in reserve. Now three plants will run this winter. This energy policy development would not have been achieved without our arguments. Another reserve for the winter of 2023 /2024 would be desirable, but what is necessary for this winter has been achieved,” said the FDP.
What do the Greens say?
The Greens only wanted to keep the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 nuclear power plants running until spring and just passed a resolution to this effect at their party conference at the weekend. Now they should also accept the continued operation of Emsland. For this, the party leadership will have to accept criticism from the grassroots.
The parliamentary group leaders Katharina Dröge and Britta Haßelmann reacted disappointed: “It is unfortunate that Scholz and the SPD are apparently ready to put the Emsland nuclear power plant into reserve operation, although there is no factual or technical reason for this.” But the Greens saw it as a success that the FDP idea of a significantly longer service life for nuclear power plants by 2024 was off the table. “It is now clear that no new fuel rods will be procured and that all German nuclear power plants will finally be taken off the grid by 15.4.23 at the latest.”
Habeck and the Greens can point out that it is the chancellor’s word of power and not their decision. Scholz also explains in his letter that “an ambitious law to increase energy efficiency” will also be presented. And the phase-out of coal, which has been brought forward to 2030, is to be implemented by law. This can be seen as a concession to the Greens.
Does Scholz now have a new style?
The Chancellor’s party agreed to the decision to order plug-in operation for the three remaining nuclear power plants. The parliamentary director of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, said on Twitter: “The Chancellor uses his authority to issue guidelines and presents an appropriate, pragmatic solution for nuclear power.”
Scholz’s word of power is reminiscent of former Prime Minister Gerhard Schröder. As the “Basta” chancellor, he ended several controversies in this style. In the debate about the pension reform in 2000, for example, Schröder declared: “We’ll do it. Basta.” At the traffic light start, Scholz did not sound as if he wanted to cultivate this style. Now he, too, is using the authority to set guidelines, although he wanted a “coalition on an equal footing”.
What does that say about the traffic light?
The total rift in the coalition seems to have been averted. But the traffic light was massively damaged after less than a year due to the nuclear dispute. The turning point is visibly tugging at the traffic light partners. While the SPD, Greens and FDP found compromises with each other on feats such as the special fund for the Bundeswehr and the relief packages, the issue of nuclear power plants escalated into a government dispute.
This meant that the coalition was only able to act to a limited extent in the middle of the greatest economic crisis. The word of power came at the last minute, because the nuclear phase-out law has to be changed this month so that the nuclear power plants can even run beyond the turn of the year. The Green MP and former Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin has indirectly announced trouble in the Bundestag.
He ranted to the editorial network Germany: “It may be that the letter is covered by the rules of procedure of the federal government, but it is not by the Basic Law.” After that, the ministers managed their departments on their own responsibility. “The rules of procedure of the federal government also do not bind the parliamentary groups in the implementation of a drafting aid for a law.”
Despite the Chancellor’s letter, the dispute over nuclear power does not seem to be over. Scholz shows leadership with the word of power when it comes to the atom. True to his motto, whoever orders a tour from him will get it. But according to a bon mot attributed to the expert on all political tricks, Wolfgang Schäuble, having the authority to set guidelines is treacherous – once they have been used, the authority is gone.