Russian influence? Foundation committee asks Gabriel and Altmaier!

Russian influence? Foundation committee asks Gabriel and Altmaier!

Things are exciting in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: An investigative committee has looked into possible Russian influence on the MV Climate Foundation. High-ranking politicians are in the spotlight: Sigmar Gabriel and Peter Altmaier are invited as witnesses. Both held key positions during the development of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and are therefore at the center of the action. IT-Boltwise reports that since the pipeline was completed in 2021, which was implemented despite international tensions, heated discussions have broken out among political actors.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is intended to carry gas from Russia to Western Europe, was already a hot topic in international politics after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Critics see the MV Climate Foundation, which received 20 million euros from Nord Stream 2 AG, as a cover for economic interests, while the country itself only contributed 200,000 euros. Proponents, on the other hand, argue that the foundation pursues important climate and environmental protection goals. Here the theory is tested to what extent Russian interests had an influence on the founding and goals of the foundation.

The witnesses and their roles

Besonders spannend wird die Vernehmung der beiden Politiker, die in ihrer Zeit als Minister unter den Kanzlern Gerhard Schröder und Angela Merkel maßgeblich an der Politik rund um Nord Stream 2 beteiligt waren. Gabriel was Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy from 2013 to 2017 and then Federal Foreign Minister. Altmaier was initially head of the Federal Chancellery under Chancellor Merkel before taking over as Federal Minister of Economics in March 2018. [Süddeutsche](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/nord-stream-2-gabriel-und-altmaier-vor-landtags- committee-in-Schwerin-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-251107-930-260748) reports that ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has already been called as a witness and his Support for the construction of the pipeline and the foundation could be discussed.

The Climate Foundation was founded in 2021 and, according to reports, was decided by the state parliament without a dissenting vote. The interest that has been sparked here on the political stage shows how divided opinions are about the project. While some see the foundation as an important player in climate and environmental protection, others fear that it is merely acting as a front organization to secure the controversial pipeline construction.

An invisible influence?

The committee's upcoming hearing could provide answers to a variety of questions that have stirred minds for years. To what extent was the Climate Foundation used as a political instrument to emphasize Russia's economic interests in Germany? The investigative committee will attempt to shed light on the matter, with experts and the public eagerly awaiting the statements of the invited witnesses.

Whether the foundation actually plays an important role in the context of climate protection or is just a political facade remains to be seen. What is certain is that the influence of Nord Stream 2 and the associated political entanglements are still very popular and the topic will probably continue to be the subject of long discussions.