Former Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin believes that a party conference is necessary to clarify the Greens' position on longer operating times for nuclear power plants. "If you seriously want to change the Atomic Energy Act, you can't do that without a party congress," Trittin told the "Tagesspiegel" (Saturday). "Whether that has to be a special party conference or whether we could do it at the regular one in October is another question." Trittin, however, spoke out clearly against an extension of the term.
Trittin emphasized that a so-called stretching operation is also an extension of the service life. The Atomic Energy Act would have to be changed for this. "We won't touch that." Otherwise, the FDP hopes to “negotiate everything possible again” with the Union.
Skepticism also in the SPD
The SPD is also skeptical about longer maturities. Party leader Saskia Esken told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (Saturday): "Even a stretching operation doesn't really help us against the gas shortage. It doesn't bring any more net energy at all, electricity generation would only be postponed." She added: "And that would also be anything but certain, in France a number of reactors are currently not connected to the grid. That's why I don't believe in extending the running times."
The coalition partner of the two parties, the FDP, is relying on the temporary continued operation of the remaining German nuclear power plants in the energy crisis. Group leader Christian Dürr told the "Rheinische Post" (Saturday): "That would be the right step to secure our energy supply and relieve the electricity market." According to current legislation, the three remaining German nuclear power plants must be shut down at the end of the year.
