BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has sharply criticized the course of Green ministries in the nuclear phase-out. Lindner said at the beginning of his questioning in the Bundestag investigation committee that the willingness of the Greens to make undogmatic decisions on the issue of nuclear energy had reached its limits. From today's perspective, party political and tactical considerations played a greater role than he believed he observed at the time.

Due to the energy crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine, the last three nuclear power plants in Germany ran a few months longer than originally planned. So the German nuclear phase-out was postponed from December 31, 2022 to April 15, 2023.

This was preceded by a dispute within the then traffic light coalition, after which Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) put his foot down in the fall of 2022. Lindner said that Scholz's use of his authority was preceded by intensive consultations between himself, Scholz and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). The decision was coordinated.

The Union in particular accuses Habeck and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) of deciding on the continued operation of nuclear power plants in Germany not "open-mindedly" and "without prejudice" after Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began, but rather on the basis of ideological reasons.

Lindner had been in favor of longer continued operation

Lindner said, with a view to the fall of 2022 and the Green ministries, that doubts had grown in the finance ministry that this was a fully open-ended review. From his point of view, maximum pragmatism would have been necessary to ensure additional electricity supply in view of the sharp rise in prices.

His position was that all three nuclear power plants should continue to operate at least until and beyond the winter of 2023/24, according to Lindner. He also considered the option of bringing nuclear power plants that were shut down in 2021 back online if possible. According to Lindner, further options were available in the fall. With regard to the Green Party, he said: "But the political will was lacking."/hoe/DP/zb