Non, no paint bags flew. There was no booing, no whistling, no shouting down. Measured by the size of the decision, the discussions before it and the consequences for the traffic light coalition, the “yes” came across as surprisingly unspectacular. On Friday evening, the Green Party Congress agreed to leave the two southern German nuclear power plants (NPP) connected to the grid until April 15 and to use them to generate electricity if necessary. In previous years, the Greens quarreled far more violently for far less cogent reasons.
In fact, the continued operation of two of the last three German nuclear power plants on the grid – even if only for the shortest possible time – is unreasonable from a green point of view. Resistance to nuclear power defined the party when it was founded. Without him, the Greens would not exist in their current form, and many members would never have joined. The fact that anti-nuclear activists are now calling for protests against the policies of the Greens may have been difficult for some to bear.
Government stress test
And so the argumentation of almost all speakers at the party conference was: nuclear power is dangerous, expensive, will create problems in the future and will not solve the problems of the present. And yes: it is an impertinence, but unfortunately you have to agree to the temporary continued operation so that in the greatest need all options can be used to ensure security of supply. The delegates followed this reasoning with a clear majority.
With this, the Greens achieved two things. On the one hand, they remained true to themselves as an anti-nuclear party. On the other hand, they presented themselves as the voice of political reason. As a party with government responsibility that not only expects a lot from others, but also from itself. No savings were made on tips against the increasingly unloved coalition partner.
But with this party congress they have not made the work of the traffic light any easier. The coalition has gotten hopelessly stuck on the question of the nuclear power plant running times – and the decision is urgent. The FDP is pushing for a significantly longer term for all three nuclear power plants still connected to the grid. However, this would require new fuel elements, the procurement of which the Greens strictly reject. Even before the party congress, the party chairmen defined this as the “red line”. The motion that has now been passed states: “Bündnis 90/Die Grünen will not agree to any legal regulation in the Bundestag that would procure new fuel elements or the new enriched uranium required for them.” The wording was not originally part of the draft submitted by the party leadership.
It is still unclear whether the Bundestag would have to agree at all in this case. But one thing is clear: the Greens will not go any further than this motion. If Economics Minister Robert Habeck doesn’t want to provoke a scandal in his party, his hands are tied. The real stress test could only now come to the government responsibility of the Greens.
