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FDP warns against "entry into state energy planning"

Between the FDP and the Greens-led Federal Ministry of Economics, there is a dispute about the rapid re-privatization of nationalized energy companies.

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FDP warns against "entry into state energy planning"

Between the FDP and the Greens-led Federal Ministry of Economics, there is a dispute about the rapid re-privatization of nationalized energy companies. "The plight of many energy companies caused by the Russian war of aggression must not lead to the entry into a state energy planned economy," says the energy policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Michael Kruse, to WELT AM SONNTAG.

"Acquired or expropriated company shares must be privatized quickly, this is also provided for by law." The state must not be the "dominant player" in the energy market in the long term. "Even today there is a risk of serious imbalance because the state owns many companies that compete with each other."

Kruse refers to paragraph 20 of the Energy Security Act. There it says: “Companies whose shares have been expropriated are to be privatized again”. It also includes a progress report every two years.

But the Ministry of Economic Affairs under Robert Habeck (Greens) contradicts the FDP interpretation, since the nationalization of Uniper and SEFE was not formally expropriation. In this respect, there is not even a reporting obligation.

Because the “presupposes that an expropriation within the meaning of Section 18 Paragraph 1 of the Energy Security Act has taken place. That has not been the case so far,” it said on request. "In the hypothetical case of expropriation, a reprivatization would have to be decided on the basis of the specifications in Section 20 Paragraph 4 of the Energy Security Act."

In fact, Uniper and SEFE came into state ownership through capital increases and the purchase of shares. At least in the case of SEFE, the former owner, the Russian state-owned company Gazprom, was de facto expropriated after the company had previously been put under trusteeship.

The liberal gets support from the opposition. "The traffic light must present a plan at an early stage on how the companies concerned are to be reprivatised," said Jens Spahn to WELT AM SONNTAG, who is responsible for business and energy as the vice-president of the Union faction.

The state participations were necessary crisis measures. "But the state is not the better entrepreneur and is threatening to overtake itself," Spahn warned. "Employees need clarity and a long-term perspective."

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