COTTBUS (dpa-AFX) – The federal government’s commissioner for eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider, has again expressed skepticism about bringing forward the coal phase-out agreed for 2038 in eastern Germany. The goal mentioned in the traffic light coalition agreement, “ideally” to end coal mining as early as 2030, is “only ideally and not realistically,” said the SPD politician on Wednesday in Cottbus. A secure energy supply is a basic requirement.
Nevertheless, Schneider already sees great progress in the structural change of the economy in Lusatia, which used to be very much focused on coal and energy production. This is “a pretty good blueprint for the change that is pending in this country as a whole”.
The Lusatia representative for the state of Brandenburg, Klaus Freytag, was also very optimistic. Concerns about job losses and unemployment are completely unfounded, he said. “We lack manpower.” Lusatia recently registered applications for 4,000 new jobs from various companies. In addition, the processing of coal mining and the restoration of the landscape will tie up workers for decades to come. “Nobody will fall into the open air,” said Freytag.
Schneider is on a summer trip through Brandenburg and Saxony on Wednesday and Thursday.
2023-08-30 21:40:29
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