The Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) supports his Bavarian counterpart Markus Söder (CSU) in the discussion about gas fracking in Germany.
"Of course you have to ask the question, if you take fracking gas from America, why can't you promote this technology here in Germany with significantly higher environmental protection measures," he told the Welt television station. "That's perfectly clear, these questions have to be asked now - open."
In the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", Söder had raised the question of using domestic gas reserves in view of the energy shortage as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. "Nobody wants yesterday's fracking. But it makes sense to check whether there are new and environmentally friendly methods," said the CSU boss, adding that experts believe that there are large natural gas fields in Lower Saxony in particular. Bavaria's Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), on the other hand, sees no major potential for fracking in Germany.
Kretschmer: The election campaign must not slow down
Kretschmer now said that in the energy policy assessment it shouldn't matter whether the fracking discussion pleases Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD). Instead, it is about the future of Germany as an industrial location. "Of course there are now election campaigns in Lower Saxony and that doesn't fit the time, but energy policy is the Achilles' heel of every economy."
Kretschmer complained that it was irresponsible to allow "this price gouging" with one's eyes open. Problems would arise for consumers, but especially for industry. Kretschmer said he sees Germany already on the way to de-industrialization.
