Union and SPD lawmakers in the Bundestag dismissed the German Green Party’s warnings of an impending gas shortage. Green energy spokeswoman Michael Kellner accused Economy Minister Katharina Reiche (CDU) of inaction and called for a special session of the energy committee to summon Reiche.
Andreas Lenz, the CSU’s economics and energy spokesperson, told “Welt” that the supply situation is being watched daily. He stressed that Germany’s gas supply now relies on Norwegian pipeline gas, LNG terminals and storage facilities, and that the statutory target of 30 % storage fullness by 1 February is being met. Lenz noted that the amended regulation, enacted while Robert Habeck and he served as state secretaries, should be known to “Mr. Kellner”.
SPD officials countered that the gas supply is “seasonally secured” by the Federal Network Agency. They credited the safeguards created by the previous “traffic‑light” coalition- SPD, Greens, and FDP-to keep gas available. Energy spokeswoman Nina Scheer told “Welt” that the legally required storage levels and the expansion of LNG‑landing capacities keep supply adequate. Scheer warned that demanding more gas reserves would push prices higher, contradicting the goal of affordable energy.
The AfD’s energy spokesman Steffen Kotré criticised the Greens, accusing them of refusing inexpensive Russian gas, tolerating the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, and stalling the certification and commissioning of Nord Stream 2 in collaboration with the SPD. Kotré further argued that expensive gas must be subsidised because of a failed energy transition, thereby making the Greens responsible for the resulting gas shortage that the government now must manage.
Left‑wing energy politician Lorenz Gösta Beutin condemned Minister Reiche’s continued push for new gas plants, calling it a “devastating” strategy that deepens fossil dependence on autocratic regimes, wastes public funds through subsidies, and delays the crucial expansion of renewables. His faction demands stronger public oversight of gas supply, effective price caps, and the nationalisation of energy networks.
Kellner reiterated in “Welt” that storage levels are falling, and that Norwegian pipeline supplies alone will not meet demand in cold weather. He pointed out that the market dynamics make it unclear how to refill the storages again, and that “adapted rules” are needed. The Green MP noted that the Federal Network Agency’s proposal for a national gas reserve highlights the urgency of action, yet the government shows no corresponding momentum.
