Scrutiny over Merkel's energy ties with Russia intensifies

There are voices in Germany calling for the creation of a parliamentary inquiry committee in the Bundestag regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" assesses that support for this project was one of the greatest mistakes in Germany's foreign policy and calls for the establishment of a committee. Similar appeals are coming from the opposition.

As "Der Spiegel" states, the Greens and the German left are urging the ruling parties, CDU with CSU and the Social Democrats from SPD, to permit a comprehensive parliamentary investigation into these affairs. "The role of the former chancellor and her government in the context of Nord Stream 2 requires thorough clarification. The black-red coalition must unconditionally present the facts and inform the involved committees comprehensively," Green MP Irene Mihalic told the weekly.

Jan van Aken, leader of the Left, asserted that Germany's dependency on Russian gas "requires urgent clarification in parliament". Van Aken supports the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry committee, noting that "not with the votes of the AfD, but perhaps there are MPs from SPD and CDU who are interested in explanations".

However, the Greens and the Left do not have enough votes to appoint a parliamentary inquiry committee. Both parties also rule out cooperation with the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) on this or other issues. The AfD is the second largest force in the German parliament, having received 20.8% of the votes in the February elections.

The backdrop for these calls is a publication by "Sueddeutsche Zeitung," revealing that Merkel's cabinet was aware of warnings about Germany's heavy reliance on Russian gas but did not take action. Documents show how Angela Merkel approved the sale of German gas storage facilities to Gazprom in September 2015, despite internal warnings.

Regardless of the questions about Nord Stream 2, Merkel has always maintained that she has nothing to reproach herself for. "However, the files from the Chancellor's Office disclosed by SZ prove otherwise. Merkel made three mistakes, and the fact that she still denies them to this day is probably the fourth," emphasizes "Sueddeutsche Zeitung".

The first mistake was Merkel's belief that mutually beneficial agreements would tame Putin. "But she overestimated herself and Germany's significance, underestimating Putin's readiness to sacrifice business relations for his imperialist agenda. After Putin's invasion of Crimea, the Nord Stream 2 project and the sale of German gas storage facilities to the Russian company Gazprom continued unabated. This was a signal to Putin that his violations of international law were being ignored in the West," writes the newspaper.

The second mistake was ignoring the warnings of Eastern European neighbours. Journalists highlight that alarmed "Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic countries warned Merkel against increasing dependency on Russian gas," but for the chancellor, "calming the neighbours" took precedence.

The third mistake, according to SZ, was the "particularly shameful" determination of Merkel and her advisors to present themselves as "neutral" on the Nord Stream 2 issue. "If the German government had truly been neutral, it would have left the regulation of gas agreements with Russia to the European Commission". Instead, it fought against interference from Brussels. Only when the USA threatened sanctions did "the Chancellor's Office rediscover that it is in Europe".

Nord Stream 2 was meant to deliver gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, but the project was halted after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by the SPD, Greens, and FDP coalition.