The pipes of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline have long since arrived on the Baltic Sea coast.

In Lubmin, almost everything would actually be ready for the gas from Russia.

But whether the pipes will ever be used is uncertain.

Matthias Wysuwa

Political correspondent for northern Germany and Scandinavia based in Hamburg.

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Instead, the pipeline has made the small village headlines around the world, and because so many people want to know so much from Mayor Axel Vogt, he has started replying only in writing.

We are "deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation in the Ukraine-Russia conflict" and the resulting consequences, he said.

One condemns "regardless of any blame" every aggressive act committed in violation of international, constitutional and human rights through the threat or use of violence.

And now that the certification process for the operating license for the Nord Stream 2 plant at the Federal Network Agency is "still suspended", he can at least point out that, with a view to the "political dispute over the natural gas project", neither in the budgets for 2021 planned for 2022 with trade tax revenue from the plant.

So there are now "hardly any direct negative consequences for the budget situation of our municipality".

The situation changed with the invasion of Ukraine

Not only Lubmin made the headlines with the construction of Nord Stream 2, but the whole state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The state government stuck to the project for a long time, and when threats of US sanctions brought the completion to a standstill, they even set up a "MV Climate and Environmental Protection" foundation to secure the construction.

The pipeline was finished.

The Russian company Gazprom is behind Nord Stream 2 AG.

Everything seemed to be going well, in September Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig celebrated a major election victory with her SPD.

The situation changed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

The federal government suspended the certification process and the questions became more urgent about what had happened in Schwerin and with the climate foundation.

On Wednesday, the state parliament set up a committee of inquiry, requested by the CDU, FDP and Greens.

He should also clarify how big the Russian influence was.

At the beginning of 2021 everything had to happen quickly.

The threat of US sanctions against companies involved in the construction of the pipeline had been reported for months.

Schwesig criticized the threats and reiterated her support for the project.

The plan for the foundation was presented in January and quickly implemented.

In her speech in the state parliament, Schwesig spoke in detail about the state's contributions to climate and environmental protection.

We now want citizens to be more involved.

"And that is a very special idea and a very special focus of this new environmental and climate protection foundation."

She also mentions "a special feature" that the foundation "can also get an economic business that is limited in time and can be used to support the completion of the Baltic Sea Pipeline 2".

The state provided the foundation with 200,000 euros, 20 million came from Nord Stream 2 AG.

The statutes already stipulated that the company can exert influence on the organization of economic business operations.

That's probably how it happened.

Erwin Sellering (SPD), Schwesig's predecessor in the state chancellery, became chairman of the foundation.