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Party Race to Succeed Merkel Throws Russian Pipeline in Doubt

Rogue Valley

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Party Race to Succeed Merkel Throws Russian Pipeline in Doubt

Xdeei5co


The Wall Street Journal
12/6/18

BERLIN—The three main contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as chairwoman of Germany’s largest political party have called for a review of a planned gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, potentially putting the party at odds with the chancellor’s own government. Since Friday, the candidates have publicly questioned whether Germany should forge ahead with the controversial NordStream 2 project after Russian forces detained Ukrainian servicemen off the shores of the Russia-occupied peninsula of Crimea, sparking international condemnation. The CDU turning against Nord Stream 2 could also be the first test of the government’s cohesion after the party comes under new leadership. The center-right party’s junior partner in the coalition, the left-leaning Social Democratic Party, has been among the project’s strongest backers. Friedrich Merz, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Jens Spahn—the main contenders in a vote for Ms. Merkel’s successor to be held at a party convention on Friday—have all said Germany might have to reconsider its stance over the pipeline in light of Moscow’s renewed international aggression. Heiko Maas, the SPD foreign minister, rejected the suggestion this week, saying the pipeline couldn’t be abandoned and should instead be used as leverage in negotiations with Russia over the security of Ukraine. Former SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a champion of the project from the outset, is the chairman of NordStream’s shareholders’ committee. (Of course Schröder is a champion of the project, he stands to make millions upon its completion.)

Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a televised debate that the political significance of the pipeline had to be reconsidered. Mr. Merz went further, saying Russia’s repeated provocations in Ukraine were making it increasingly awkward for Germany to keep championing NordStream 2. “The more this conflicts escalates, the more we have to discuss whether it’s really the right decision to build this pipeline.” Mr. Spahn, the third candidate, told the Bild newspaper that Germany couldn’t unconditionally support the completion of the pipeline if the Kremlin didn’t alter its behavior. Their comments have re-energized criticism of the project in Germany and abroad amid mounting discomfort at Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, its hounding of the Kremlin’s critics abroad, its role in the Syrian civil war and its interference in U.S. and European politics. “Many people inside Germany are coming to realize what most people outside of Germany already know: It is unwise to give Russia more influence over Europe’s energy security,” said Richard A. Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany and a former member of the Trump campaign. Experts say that the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has the legal means to stop the pipeline project. Manfred Weber, a member of Ms. Merkel’s conservative bloc who is likely to become the next president of the Commission, told the Journal that the project went against Europe’s interests and Berlin shouldn’t hide behind legal arguments. “I believe that a project which will make Europe even more dependent on Russia’s gas is the wrong path to take. It must therefore be reconsidered,” he said.

Putin never does anything without a political underpinning. NordStream 2 is a Russian noose around the neck of Europe.

I hope Germans are finally waking up to the harsh reality of trusting their energy security to the whims of a KGB Colonel.
 
The Germans should listen when Trump tells them stuff.
 
Party Race to Succeed Merkel Throws Russian Pipeline in Doubt

Xdeei5co




Putin never does anything without a political underpinning. NordStream 2 is a Russian noose around the neck of Europe.

I hope Germans are finally waking up to the harsh reality of trusting their energy security to the whims of a KGB Colonel.
One needs to know that Nordstream (the pipeline construction, not the envisaged gas supply) is a private venue, as in financed by investors outside of any German government circle.

Of course it has been endorsed by the German gubmint and is thus officially supported.

The question is really what consequences would result from that support being withdrawn (a move I'd highly recommend). Because in any attempt to trash Nordstream altogether, Germany would have to induce its energy companies to seek other avenues so that they would withdraw from the whole project. Simply ordering them to quit is not as easy by German law as it is, for instance, in the US.
 
The Germans should listen when Trump tells them stuff.
The Germans are inclined to listen to just about anybody but Trump. Seeing how you clearly don't know much about the Germans, you can't know this either.
 
Why would they do that? Everything Trump says is pure bull****.

The Germans are inclined to listen to just about anybody but Trump. Seeing how you clearly don't know much about the Germans, you can't know this either.

And yet, it seems they are going to do exactly what he told them.

Go figure...
 
And yet, it seems they are going to do exactly what he told them.
you have any example?

And don't bother citing the doubts voiced over Nordstream, those were already on the table before Trump ever took office.
 
you have any example?

And don't bother citing the doubts voiced over Nordstream, those were already on the table before Trump ever took office.

The two Nord Stream pipelines are exactly what the OP is about. Those are the pipelines Trump talked about with Merkel last July.

 
The two Nord Stream pipelines are exactly what the OP is about. Those are the pipelines Trump talked about with Merkel last July.
What does that have to do with the post of mine that you're quoting?

Come back when you actually have some knowledge on the German energy market and Germany altogether.

IOW best stay away completely.
 
Last edited:
What does that have to do with the post of mine that you're quoting?

Come back when you actually have some knowledge on the German energy market and Germany altogether.

IOW best stay away completely.

You asked me for an example of what I was talking about. I gave you that.

What I was talking about is the information in the OP.

But hey...if you want to talk about something else, fine...just identify what YOU are talking about. (Ideally, if you want to change the subject you should start a new thread on your topic. Don't hijack someone else's thread.)
 
You asked me for an example of what I was talking about. I gave you that.

What I was talking about is the information in the OP.

But hey...if you want to talk about something else, fine...just identify what YOU are talking about. (Ideally, if you want to change the subject you should start a new thread on your topic. Don't hijack someone else's thread.)
as I said
Come back when you actually have some knowledge on the German energy market and Germany altogether.

IOW best stay away completely.
Thank you and bye.
 
as I said Thank you and bye.

shrug...

Seems to me you don't really have anything on topic to discuss, so yeah...bye.
 
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer today won the race.
 
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