Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck is fighting against time. Germany should end its fatal dependence on energy imports from Russia as soon as possible. New suppliers and the accelerated switch to renewables are the two most important strategies.
Travel diplomacy, which Habeck practices with verve, plays a prominent role here. In Israel and Jordan, too, where the Greens politician is taking part in an international energy conference, this hot topic is again at stake, which is not only of crucial importance for Germany’s competitiveness but also for the country’s security.
Unlike Saudi Arabia or Qatar, Israel is unlikely to be able to contribute much in the short term to securing Germany’s energy supply through gas supplies. But there are huge future opportunities that could arise from Israel’s cooperation with some Arab countries.
Because in this region there are not only large deposits of raw materials, but also excellent conditions for using solar energy or hydrogen. And Habeck would do well to promote Germany’s entry into such a future project at an early stage.
But as is almost always the case when he travels, the minister also receives criticism, especially from the green-left milieu. Many do not like the new partners, especially since human rights are not very important in a number of Arab countries.
The fact that even internationally ostracized states like Venezuela are now being courted as suppliers and that fracking gas from the USA is being enthusiastically accepted is a problem for many in this country. But Habeck rightly disregards such sensitivities. The consequences of an acute energy shortage would be devastating for both citizens and entrepreneurs.
Anyone who thinks that Germany should only accept ecologically valuable and politically clean sources is naïve. Habeck is pursuing the right strategy of making delivery agreements with as many countries as possible. Only then will Germany regain its freedom of action and cannot be blackmailed by any unjust regime. Morally, that would also be progress.
