Energy Crisis Could Trigger Rise in Extremism in Germany

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The energy crisis in Germany could prompt extremism to rise in the country, Minister-President of the German state of Bavaria Markus Soder warned on Sunday, urging democratic parties to cooperate more.

"Fear and uncertainty are the fuel for extremists. And before the coming winter, people are experiencing such uncertainty as they have not experienced for a long time. The mix of crises, such as energy and coronavirus, can lead to overstrain and destabilization of democracy. Therefore, democratic parties should take a clear position, argue less and encourage citizens," Soder told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

Soder also urged Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner to stop arguing about extending the operation of the nuclear power plants. He said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should resolve the dispute between the two politicians.

The Bavarian leader noted that the country needs to extend the operation of the nuclear power plants until at least 2024, as well as apply measures to reduce the rise of gas prices and introduce financial incentives for citizens in October and November.

Habeck and Lindner have been arguing for months about the extension of the operation of German nuclear power plants. Habeck, a member of the Greens political party, has expressed his intention to extend the operation of two out of the remaining three nuclear power plants until March 2023, while Lindner calls for the extension of the operation of all three plants until 2024.

Germany was planning to phase out nuclear energy in 2022. At the beginning of the year, Berlin shut down three out of six nuclear power plants.

In August, Stephan Kramer, President of the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told German broadcaster ZDF that the country was facing a so-called "winter of fury" over imminent "violent" protests against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, economic woes, and the energy crisis.

Kramer warned of looming "legitimate protests" against the situation that "threatens our existence in the fall," namely "gas shortages, energy difficulties, supply issues, possibly recession, unemployment, but also growing poverty right down to the middle class."