Nord Stream Committee: Missing SMS Raisesโ Questions About Schwesig‘s Testimony
Files submitted โto the parliamentaryโ investigative committee examining the Nordโฃ Stream 2 pipeline โare incomplete,โข specifically regarding text messages sent to than-Prime โMinisterโข Manuela โSchwesig (SPD). An email from her then-Energy โMinisterโ Christian Pegel (also SPD) suggests an SMS concerning the EUGAL โฃpipeline connection line was sent to Schwesig,โฃ but โthis message is absent โขfrom the committee’s records.
In a September 21, 2021 email, Pegel โคinformed the government spokesman that he had relayedโ assessments of the EUGALโ connection line to Schwesig via โฃSMS. โThe โinvestigative committee has found no record of this SMS – or any text messages โฃsent or received by Schwesig -โข within the submitted โฃfiles.
During her witness interview, Schwesig was confrontedโ with โขthe โemail.โฃ According โขto the email, after discussing the matter with the Federal Council regarding EUGAL – the pipeline โleading to the Czechโ Republic – Pegel compiled details and sentโ it to “the person โฃresponsible โคthere” for โฃreview,โฃ apparently intendingโฃ to inform the Primeโ Minister of contentious points via text message.
Pegel’s email also โฃstates he was forwarding “thisโ SMS” to โthe government spokesman as anโ email. However,โฃ Schwesig stated to the committee she had โno knowledge of the SMS, โneither confirming its receipt nor commenting on whether she โฃdeleted it. Sheโ asserted she hadโ provided all โคrelevant electronic messagesโ to the committee, stating, “otherwise ‘no โawareness of this.'” โฃthe SMS in question was reportedly sent โขin 2020, while the investigative committee was โestablished in 2022.
The emailโ from Christian Pegelโ to Schwesig is also missing from theโข submitted โfiles. Pegel previouslyโ admitted during his own questioning before the โคcommittee thatโฃ he routinely deletes emails.
Hannes Damm, chairman of the Greens in the parliamentary investigative committee, described Schwesig’sโ statements as “highly contradictory and simply unbelievable.”โข He called theโข absence of the potential text โmessage โฃ”especially explosive” andโ criticized Schwesig for dismissing โthe committee’s inquiries as โข”conspiracy theories” and “indirectly evenโค questions the legitimacy ofโ the parliamentary committee.”