Germany's energy policy is hypocritical.

The federal government does not want to get new fuel rods for nuclear power plants, so it burns climate-damaging coal.

She doesn't want to promote fracking, so she lets fracking gas come from America.

She doesn't want to inject carbon dioxide into the ground, so the Norwegians will soon do it for her.

Her stance on energy is simple: Anything, just not with us.

Many citizens could afford this attitude for a long time.

There was everything, electricity from the socket, gas in the pipes.

No matter how much one railed against this or that technology, the light always went on in the evening.

This resulted in a distorted image.

The focus was on the greatest imaginable catastrophe and not obvious dangers.

As early as the 1970s, activists feared that a state that guards nuclear power plants would soon be guarding all citizens.

After Fukushima, hardly anyone was interested in where the electricity would come from on cold, windless days when all nuclear and coal-fired power plants were shut down.

Instead, the Germans talked about meltdowns and nuclear-contaminated areas.

Even then, experts declared that an accident like the one in Fukushima in German nuclear power plants was impossible.

Their cooling water system is better protected than the Japanese one, it keeps working even during floods.

But that was lost in the excitement, and the government at the time preferred to follow the will of the majority: get out of nuclear energy as quickly as possible.

It was similar with fracking.

Many were worried about burning water in America and the supposedly sinister interests of Shell and Co. It hardly got through that gas in Russia was not produced according to the very finest environmental standards.

Especially not that one made oneself dependent on the Kremlin.

There were enough reminders, especially in Eastern Europe.

But most citizens didn't want to hear that, and politics followed them here too: cheap gas was needed, the rest was secondary.

It didn't matter that it ended up being quite expensive.

As if it was only about the coming winter

Russia's war against Ukraine changed all that.

It was a wake-up call, also for energy policy.

Or rather: He should have been one.

Because the federal government acts more as if it would rather turn to the other side after the first alarm clock rings.

She pretends that fracking is risky, but environmentalists say the opposite.

It gives the impression that it is dangerous to keep nuclear power plants running, although experts dispute that too. And if none of this helps to stifle the discussion, the argument is always that everything is taking too long.

Get fracks, fuel rods, find staff.

So it doesn't help for the coming winter.

Like it's all about him.

It's about years, it's about making Germany's energy supply more independent in the long term.

It's not just about Russia either.

The country has only shown the Germans very drastically how problematic it is to depend on the needle of a single supplier.

That can happen again at any time.

For example, what if Donald Trump is re-elected and issues the slogan that American gas belongs to the Americans?

You don't even have to speculate wildly.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Norway just now because he needs gas.

Meanwhile, Norwegian newspapers questioned why Germany's failed energy policy should be bolstered.

France, too, has politely made it clear to the Germans that they are happy to support them with gas, but are counting on German electricity in winter.

French politicians sounded somewhat stunned that the pros and cons of nuclear power were still being debated in this country.

Not to mention the reluctance of the East Europeans.

They will think twice about helping the country that has left them alone with their fears of Russia for years and whose politicians have robotically repeated that Nord Stream 2 has nothing to do with politics.

Her expectations of Germany are clear: a country that has thought only of itself for years must also be able to take care of itself.

The Germans should be honest

This is not only necessary geostrategically, but also because of climate protection.

Nuclear energy protects the climate.

After all, gas-fired power plants are more gentle on it than coal-fired power plants.

And whichever way you look at it, the industry will still need gas, whether it is produced here or shipped across the Atlantic in tankers.

The Germans should be honest.

The dream of untouched German meadows and unlimited energy from abroad was nice while it lasted.

But now it's high time to throw back the covers and get up.