CSU leader Markus Söder called for a comprehensive shift in German energy policy on Saturday, one that includes the construction of new nuclear power plants. The Bavarian Minister-President advocated in “Welt am Sonntag” for smaller reactors, like those already existing in Canada.
“It’s not about building large reactors like in the past. I’m talking about smaller, smart reactors, like those that already exist in Canada,” Söder explained. According to the CSU politician, these “mini-reactors” would not require subsidies as high as previous facilities.
Söder Criticizes State Subsidies in Energy Production
Söder had previously positioned himself against the nuclear phase-out, justifying this with the need for low-cost energy. However, former operators of nuclear reactors point out that nuclear power, at up to 49 cents per kilowatt-hour, is the most expensive form of electricity generation.
The CSU leader criticized state subsidies in energy production: “We want to build gas power plants and expand renewable energies, but we overlook that all of this is heavily subsidized. We are pushing down energy prices with state money instead of focusing on low-cost production. Drilling for gas in Germany is a taboo subject; instead, we are switching off nuclear power. We need to change course on these points so that the economy can recover.”
Söder: “What Germany is Doing is Simply Dishonest”
To stimulate the economy, Söder is demanding a change in strategy. “What Germany is doing is simply dishonest: We buy fracked gas from the USA, but we don’t want to drill for gas here at home. We buy nuclear power from France and the Czech Republic, but reject nuclear power here. We buy rare earths from abroad, but refuse to mine them in Germany.”
The Bavarian Minister-President advocates for the utilization of gas deposits in Northern Germany. Furthermore, it should be examined whether mining rare earths in Germany would be worthwhile.
Söder emphasized that competitiveness must be the top priority in Germany, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has also stated. “The crucial thing is that we stop restricting ourselves. We are unilaterally focusing on electric cars and overlooking the fact that we are thereby destroying the combustion engine and with it our automotive industry. Thousands of jobs are at stake,” warned the CSU leader.
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