Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – The parliamentary manager of the CDU parliamentary group, Markus Kurz, has criticized the statements made by the Eastern Commissioner Carsten Schneider (SPD) on the oil embargo. “We don’t need a nod. A representative for the East must represent the interests of the East,” Kurz told the German Press Agency on Monday. The East German economy needs the jobs in the large refineries in Leuna (Saxony-Anhalt) and Schwedt (Brandenburg), these are irreplaceable.
Schneider had recently rejected special rules for the oil embargo for East German refineries. “We have a national responsibility, I can’t say that just because I’m here in the East, we won’t go along with it,” said the SPD politician to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Saturday/Sunday).
The two large refineries in Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg process Russian oil. Although the EU states have agreed that no more tanker oil can be imported into the EU, but that crude oil can still be imported into the EU via pipelines, the federal government is planning a comprehensive import ban on Russian oil from next year because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Kurz fears massive repercussions for workers in the refineries and problems with the energy supply. “It won’t work completely without Russian oil and gas,” said the CDU politician. It is true that it is right to become more independent of Russia. But this does not happen from one day to the next. In addition, there should not only be economic sanctions, diplomatic channels must also be intensified.
Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) had called for more support from the federal government at the weekend. You support the oil embargo, said Haseloff. “However, the federal government has a duty to accompany this step with structural and financial aid for East Germany.” In particular for the East German mineral and chemical industry, there should be no price increases that would impair competitiveness.
On Monday in Berlin, the left called for a guarantee plan for East Germany to ensure security of supply, locations, jobs and prices. “The East is currently being left out in the rain,” criticized the left-wing faction’s commissioner for the East, Sören Pellmann. On Monday, the conference of East German heads of government with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will also be about Germany’s energy supply.
