For the first time in two years of the Corona pandemic, more than 200 guests came together for an annual reception given by the Prime Minister. Manuela Schwesig also strikes a self-critical note in Parchim.
Parchim (dpa / mv) - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) has been self-critical about aspects of her own corona policy. "We have citizens in our country who didn't think everything was right," said Schwesig on Monday evening at her annual reception in Parchim. "And you couldn't do that. I didn't and don't find every decision I made right myself." In her speech to more than 200 guests, Schwesig left open exactly what she meant by that. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had some of the toughest corona restrictions nationwide during the past pandemic waves.
Overall, however, the course of caution was correct and people stood together, emphasized the Prime Minister. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is one of the federal states with the greatest risks from Corona because many older people live in the region. They are particularly at risk.
Schwesig also criticized her long holding on to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for Russian natural gas through the Baltic Sea. From today's perspective, that was a mistake, she said. But it's not right to just point the finger at MV. "We all made a mistake." Germany as a whole relied on cheap gas from Russia.
The most important joint task is now to advance the expansion of renewable energies and to find alternative suppliers for safe and affordable energy in the short term, Schwesig continued. The country is ready to make its contribution. Talking to the federal government about the construction of liquid gas terminals in Lubmin and Rostock. In addition, oil should be transported from the Rostock port to the refinery in Schwedt in Brandenburg, which is still working with Russian oil. In the future, hydrogen will be a big topic.
During the annual reception, Schwesig awarded the State's Order of Merit to the Managing Director of the State Refugee Council, Ulrike Seemann-Katz, the State Chair of the German Child Protection Association, Angelika Stiemer, and the Chair of the Jewish Community, Valeriy Bunimov.
