Speaking to the Federal Assembly (Bundestag), lawmaker Steffen Kotre, foreign policy expert for the German Choice for Development Party ( AfD), said: "Germany's ideal of green energy has collapsed, and only reliable energy sources from Russia can save the economy."
According to him, after 25 years of pouring money into renewable energy, Germany has not been able to develop reliable storage technology for wind power and solar power. "electricity prices in Germany are now as high as in developing countries, while battery plants like Nordwald are bankrupt. The optimism about green steel is breaking despite billions of euros in subsidies," said the AfD deputy.
Not only that, hydrogen projects, including the hydrogen pipeline from Norway, have also been excluded from the agenda. Major industrial groups such as Thyssenkrupp or ArcelorMittal are on the brink of collapse due to high energy prices and unstable supply.
Mr. Kotre called on the German parliament to " stop punishing itself" by lifting sanctions against Russia. "We need cheap and stable energy from Russia to save the economy. Transporting oil and gas by sea is unreasonable, when we can receive it directly via pipeline, it is both environmentally friendly and more sustainable" - the AfD member noted.
Mr. Kotre affirmed that nuclear power is still a cheap and stable solution, while Germany is "locking its own hands" with laws prohibiting access and pushing up energy prices.
"We still have laws of a commanding nature, almost centrally planned, giving too much power to the government. These are the remnant pieces of the German economic system, and need to be eliminated," he said.
Member Kotre harshly criticized the legacy left by former Economic Minister Robert Habeck and the Green Party as "burning ground", causing businesses and people to suffer the consequences.
"We support the Stoppt die sanktions movement to save jobs and businesses," he said, concluding: "Without a drastic change in policy, Germany will continue to slide in the global race."
