The launch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline might still be thwarted by the Green Party in Germany, co-chairman of the party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Tino Chrupalla, has suggested in an interview with the Russian media outlet "Lenta". He said that the Greens' opposition to the pipeline's construction came as no surprise.
"They failed in trying to prevent the construction [of Nord Stream 2]. Now, we shall see if it will be launched with similar success. I will remain sceptical until the first gas starts flowing through the pipeline".
Chrupalla suggested that the Greens might "discover a family of rare lizards near the pipeline" and demand to stop Nord Stream 2 from being launched on the grounds of protecting a rare species. The pipeline's construction finished on 10 September, but it still has to pass certification before it can start transporting natural gas.
Germany's Political Future Remains Unclear
The AfD co-chair's comments came ahead of the Bundestag elections in Germany on 26 September. Preliminary polls showed no clear frontrunner. Nor did they reveal any two parties that might jointly grab over 50% of the Bundestag thus becoming natural possible allies to form a new government. If the votes are spread out in such a manner after the ballots are counted, then three parties will likely be needed to form a coalition government. The Greens will have significant chances of joining such a government due to relatively high levels of support in the country – around 16% of Germans are ready to cast their ballots for the party, according to an aggregated Politico poll.
Chancellor hopeful from the Green Party, Annalena Baerbock, made it clear that she strongly opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will be capable of delivering up to 55 million cubic metres of natural gas from Russia to Germany per year after its launch. Baerbock said in July 2021 that she opposes the pipeline not so much on the grounds of its alleged environmental impact, but mostly over its "geostrategic" impact on Ukraine. She claimed that Nord Stream 2 endangers "Ukraine's security".
The US and several European countries expressed similar concerns, but Moscow has made repeated assurances that the pipeline is an economic endeavour, not a political project. The Kremlin further assured that Russian gas transit through Ukraine, which brings Kiev massive profits, will continue after the launch of Nord Stream 2 if it remains economically viable.