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It's associated with waste that no one wants and nuclear weapons that no one wants either. Germany had a SPD/Greens coalition. They decided to not renew the co
by turbinerneiter 5y ago
It's associated with waste that no one wants and nuclear weapons that no one wants either.
Germany had a SPD/Greens coalition. They decided to not renew the contracts with the nuclear power plants and phase them out (afaik they are allowed to run 25 years, then they need to renew that, sorry missing some vocubaulry here). The next government was CDU/FDP (Merkel 1), who decided to renew the contracts again and cancel the rpior government phase out plans. Couple of weeks later Fukushima happened. Merkel stood in front of parliament and said: "On a day like today, we can not say that nuclear power plants are safe. They are safe." That is a direct quote of her speech. In the de speech she annoinced that Germany will stop using nuclear power.
Because they had just signed the renewed contracts, the power plant companies sued Germany for the lost profit. Funnily enough, when Merkel decided to renew the contracts, they also introduced a tax on nuclear fuel, however the law had mistakes which made it unconstitutional and Germany had to pay back the taxes.
I still to this day believe that Schäuble messed up the law on purpose. It happened back during the economic crisis, when there were spending cuts on normal people stuff, and this tax was a part of the media circus of "the big corps also have to do their part". That first part is 100% fact, this last part is just my pet conspiracy theory tough :D
- rob74 5y agoSmall correction: the CDU/FDP government was the second Merkel cabinet (of four), and the only one where the FDP was involved. In fact it was so "successful" that at the next elections the FDP fell below the 5% threshold and wasn't represented in the Bundestag for the next four years.
- turbinerneiter 5y agoThanks for the correction.
- lm28469 5y agoYeah, nothing to do with russian gas, dirty money and lobbyists.... https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-former-chancellor-gerhard-schr%C3%B6der-to-join-gazprom-board/a-60664273 https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-former-chancellor-gerhard-sch... https://www.politico.eu/article/outrage-germany-ex-chancellor-schroder-gazprom-board-nomination/ https://www.politico.eu/article/outrage-germany-ex-chancello...
- turbinerneiter 5y agoI retold the history, not the motivations. Also, Schröder and Merkel are from different parties, so it's hard to see how Schröders corruption influenced Merkel.
- novok 5y agoCorruption that you know about... Probably a lot on the Merkel side that the public doesn't know. The people or groups who you don't think would ever be corrupt are some of the best to be corrupt in the first place.
- lm28469 5y agoIn our globalized capitalist world nothing matters more than the economy, money and inertia takes care of everything, no matter which party you're from. You need a literal war at your door to slap some sense in them.
- novok 5y agoWhy would germany worry about making nukes themselves although?