July 28, 2026

Germany Watch

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Germany on Wednesday approved an application by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel rods under a licensing agreement with state-backed Russian firms despite political concerns, arguing it lacked the legal basis for a rejection.

A Framatome subsidiary had applied to produce at its plant in northern Germany fuel elements to supply nuclear plants in the eastern European market using Russian licenses and technology in a joint venture with Russian firms TVEL/Rosatom.

Despite political concerns due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the environment ministry in the state of Lower Saxony with guidance from the federal environment ministry granted the necessary approval subject to certain conditions.

A spokesperson for the federal ministry said that while the government in Berlin has a critical view of the cooperation with a Russian state-owned company, the decision was made in accordance with the relevant nuclear laws of Germany.

“The appropriate instrument to address this, however, is not nuclear law, but rather EU-wide sanctions, including those in the nuclear sector,” the ministry said in a statement.

Why did Germany’s SPD party do so badly in the election? – DW (English)

pgnewser March 4, 2025 0

Why did Germany’s SPD party do so badly in the election? – DW (English)
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Excerpt:

The day after Hamburg’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, March 2, cautious optimism was in the air at the Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters in Berlin. “The result made us smile,” said party co-chair Saskia Esken.

The SPD won 33.5% of the vote in Hamburg, more than double its February 23rd federal election result of only 16.4%. That was the SPD’s worst federal election result since 1887 ­— back when it was still called the Socialist Workers’ Party of Germany. The Bundestag election reflects a depressing, decades-long downward trend for the party.

The SPD’s 25.7% share in Germany’s last federal election in 2021, now seems to have been an anomaly. Back then, opinion polls had  put the party at 15% for months. Its surprising comeback was due to crucial mistakes by its main rival, the center-right Christian Democratic Party (CDU). Those within SPD ranks later described it like this: “We thought we had won — but it was only that the others had lost.”