Likely next German chancellor calls wind 'ugly transition technology we can dismantle'

Germany shouldn’t “unilaterally” bet on wind and solar power for its energy supply, but use all possible generation sources, opposition leader and likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

“I even believe that if we do it right, we can one day dismantle wind turbines because they are ugly and because they do not fit into the landscape,” the politician from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said.

In new elections early next year according to current opinion polls the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), would probably become the strongest party, but they would need either the SPD or the Greens as coalition partners.

A government led by him would check whether it is possible to get back into nuclear power, which Germany had phased out by last year, Merz said, as well as build new small modular reactors – possible together with France.

Germany should also test two large nuclear fusion reactors for its future energy supply.

“We want to have the first one on the grid here in Germany,” Merz said.

“We do not want to leave this [technology] to China, but we want it because we already have two research reactors. I visited both of them.”

It is unclear, whether Merz could push through his anti-wind plans as his most likely coalition partners, the SPD and especially the Greens, are in favour of expanding wind power and share a dislike for nuclear energy.

Germany during the first half of this year met close to 60% of its electricity needs with renewables, with about half of that coming from wind power.