Scandal surrounding the MV Climate Foundation: Ex-Chancellor and Minister before the Committee!

Scandal surrounding the MV Climate Foundation: Ex-Chancellor and Minister before the Committee!

The investigative committee of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania currently has a lot to do. Today, ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD), Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) and Peter Altmaier (CDU) are invited as witnesses to comment on the founding of the MV Climate Foundation and the associated Russian influence. This foundation was originally set up to support the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, reports World.

The construction of Nord Stream 2, which was completed in 2021, has long been a hotly debated topic. Resistance to the project had grown, especially since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The threat of US sanctions against the companies involved has further put completion to the test. The MV Climate Foundation, which was founded by the state parliament without any dissenting votes, played an important role here. Nord Stream 2 AG, part of the Russian state-owned company Gazprom, invested an impressive 20 million euros, while the country itself contributed 200,000 euros.

Political appreciation and resistance

The foundation's protagonists came from different political camps. While Schröder vehemently advocated for Nord Stream 2 and the Climate Foundation, some of his former colleagues are now expressing skepticism. This can be seen, among other things, in the statements of Harry Glawe and Werner Kuhn, who both supported the construction of the pipeline. Glawe, a CDU politician, admitted in the committee that the establishment of the foundation could have been a mistake from today's perspective, but defended its necessity at the time.

Meanwhile, the former chairman of Nord Stream 2 AG, Matthias Warnig, also provided information about the situation. After the outbreak of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, the foundation's cooperation with Nord Stream 2 was discontinued. Kuhn nevertheless expressed optimism about the future of the project and believes in technical possibilities to repair the damaged pipeline sections.

Russian connections and their consequences

The involvement of the MV Climate Foundation in Russian energy policy raises questions. Critics, including members of the Green Party, criticize the state government's naivety, especially given the current geopolitical climate. Andrej Zverev, a trade envoy at the Russian embassy, ​​was installed as an “economic ambassador” for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but without a security clearance, raising concerns.

One event casts a shadow over the entire foundation: many within the EU, including prominent voices like Manfred Weber from the EPP, firmly reject the Baltic Sea pipeline. These critical voices have become even louder since the federal government under Angela Merkel once advocated the construction of Nord Stream 2, but then became skeptical about the foundation project.

In an environment characterized by political tensions and new geopolitical challenges, it remains to be seen how the investigative committee will develop and what conclusions the individual actors will draw from their past. The discussion surrounding the Climate Foundation and Nord Stream 2 shows us how closely politics and economics are intertwined - often with far-reaching consequences.

Developments in the energy and political spectrum are of greatest interest to investors and the economy. Microsoft's estimated price-earnings ratio (P/E) as of November 6, 2025 is 35.36, which is considered “fair” in a historical context, while the P/E is particularly important in long-term analyzes in the economy, such as the World Peratio reported.

For the next few months, it is crucial to closely monitor political developments in order to better assess the impact on energy policy and the economy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and beyond.