BERLIN, September 9. /TASS/. Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has sharply criticized the German government's energy policy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, calling for the resumption of Russian gas supplies amid low domestic storage levels.
"You decided to forgo cost-effective pipeline gas from Russia. You allowed the Nord Stream pipeline to be blown up right under your noses without uttering a word or lifting a finger," Weidel said during a Bundestag debate, addressing Merz. "Instead of laying the groundwork to resume supplies via the surviving pipeline branches in the future, you continue to reward the alleged organizers of the terrorist attack in Kiev with billions in payments at Germany's expense – in case you haven't noticed yet."
She warned that Germany's gas reserves are at a record low.
"Therefore, gas injection must be the top priority. If the winter is cold, we face the prospect of purchasing gas at astronomical, market-inflating prices or facing consumption rationing that would deal a final, devastating blow to our economy and private households," the politician emphasized, adding that the German Chancellor is "leading the country toward a catastrophic supply crisis this winter."
"We must put an end to the failed energy transition and embark on a return to nuclear power. The key word here is the sustainability of our energy supply. That is precisely why we also need cheap natural gas from Russia, and we will work toward this for the sake of the German economy," the AfD co-chair stated.
At the same time, she called for a radical reduction in development aid and global climate protection spending. "With a total development aid budget of 26 billion euros, Germany is ahead of even the United States. This money is available for the entire world, but not for our own citizens. We must significantly limit payments to the EU. Almost a billion flows to Brussels every week, yet only a small fraction returns," Weidel noted, highlighting the need to reduce the state apparatus and the public sector.
Earlier, the DPA news agency, citing data from the Association of Gas Storage Operators, reported that Germany's gas storage facilities could be completely depleted as early as the beginning of February 2027 if the upcoming winter proves cold.