Overview
- Testifying as the 91st and final witness, Manuela Schwesig spoke for nearly 14 hours and insisted Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern acted within German foreign and economic policy.
- Schwesig denied any Russian influence on her government, defended backing the pipeline to secure affordable energy, and reiterated that supporting it was a mistake in hindsight.
- Lawmakers highlighted that most of Schwesig’s 21 meetings with Nord Stream figures lack minutes, compounding earlier gaps such as deleted emails and a finance official burning tax documents.
- The state-backed Klimaschutzstiftung MV, founded in early 2021 with €200,000 from the state and €20 million from Nord Stream 2 AG, provided the “protective umbrella” that enabled completion of the pipeline, which never entered service after February 2022.
- Opposition parties said Schwesig hindered clarification, while Transparency International said much has become clearer yet noted long-running Russian lobbying was not fully addressed; the final report is expected by summer 2026.