Economics Minister Robert Habeck does not yet have a patent solution, but at least he has a sketch of a plan.

In any case, the Greens politician encouraged employees at the PCK refinery in Schwedt on Monday evening: Despite the planned EU oil embargo against Russia, the plant with around 1,200 employees should have a future.

And the filling stations in East Germany that are supplied from Schwedt should also get fuel in the future.

The embargo plans of the European Union are causing unrest in the company for two reasons: The refinery has so far been completely dependent on Russian oil - and it has a Russian operator, the state-owned company Rosneft.

The employees came to the works meeting with Habeck in such large numbers that it was moved outside.

On the terrace, Habeck climbed onto a table, microphone in hand, to be heard better.

And he struck an understanding note: "I don't want to screw you up and I don't want to paint the sky pink for you in any way.

There may be a problem somewhere, something may not work.” But if his plan works, then the plant will have a future and prospects.

Habeck spoke of three elements that had to come together: the preparations for new oil deliveries from other countries via ships via Rostock;

Financial aid from the federal government for possible additional costs after the changeover, because oil from other sources is more expensive;

and a possible trust structure in place of the previous operator, Rosneft.

"If all three work, then you will have job security for the near future," promised Habeck.

"We need Schwedt."

According to Habeck's ideas, tanker oil should be landed in Rostock and Gdansk and transported via pipelines to the huge facility on the German-Polish border.

In the long term, PCK could then develop further towards hydrogen - because the climate change would mean turning away from fossil fuels anyway, said Habeck.

However, the Brandenburg state government fears that deliveries for Schwedt from new sources would only account for up to 70 percent of the previous output.

At the appointment with Habeck in Schwedt, Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) demanded: “The supply must work.

We are talking about critical infrastructure here.” PCK boss Ralf Schairer assured: “We are doing everything to ensure our continued existence.”

The workforce listened to Habeck's speech in peace.

But then there were some critical voices.

An employee called for the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Schwedt with Russian oil, to be removed from the planned EU embargo.

"It will not work."

An employee who has been with PCK for 27 years called the decision to stop using Russian oil out of "political correctness" wrong.

However, the background to the EU sanctions is the devastating Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

Habeck countered that the embargo would come with a high degree of certainty.

The minister called out to the workforce: "If you have a better idea - bring it on."

"No one should be left behind"

The extent to which the refinery shapes the city of Schwedt with its 30,000 inhabitants becomes immediately clear when you visit: the huge facility can be seen from afar.

With PCK and the paper mills, the town in the Uckermark is a large industrial location in Brandenburg.

The city center was 85 percent destroyed in World War II.

The cityscape is also characterized by numerous prefabricated buildings, but the old town with churches worth seeing and quiet squares has been lovingly renovated.

Poland begins very close by: the national park city lies on the Oder.

The most important thing for the mining, chemical and energy trade union is to at least maintain the number of employees at PCK.

"None of them should definitely not be left behind," said IGBCE district leader Rolf Erler.