The managing director of a major pharmaceutical site in Germany has accused the country’s politicians of pursuing the wrong course in energy policy.
Christof Günther, the head of the Leuna Chemical Complex near Leipzig, said Germany’s international competitiveness “has been ruined” in an interview for Saturday’s edition of the Magdeburger Volksstimme newspaper.
“From the perspective of a global corporation, the energy prices, regulatory density and bureaucratic burdens in Germany have long been incomprehensible,” he said.
“We have been pointing this out for years,” Günther added. He noted that the US chemical company Dow is considering withdrawing from the central region of Germany’s chemical industry due to high energy prices.
Dow is examining various options, including the temporary shutdown or closure of plants. According to the company, this concerns plants at two sites in Germany.
“This announcement is really bitter because it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” Günther said, warning of a potential domino effect. “For every job in the chemical industry, there are about three more connected jobs in other industries.”
The manager is calling for a different approach to Germany’s energy policy. The markets are already expecting a peaceful solution to be found for Ukraine, he said, after which he believes Russian gas will flow back into Europe.
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