Die Energiewende im Kontext von Klima- und Demokratiekrise: Die Grenzen der Deliberation und radikaldemokratische Alternativen

Die Umsetzung der Energiewende begleiten viele Konflikte um das Gemeinwohl, in denen sich zunehmend Phänomene einer Demokratiekrise zeigen. Das deliberative Demokratiemodell stößt hier an Grenzen. Der Schlüssel für eine konstruktive Bearbeitung von Klima- und Demokratiekrise liegt darin, die Konfrontation zwischen konkurrierenden Energiewende-Visionen zu forcieren. Es gilt, den pluralistischen Kern moderner Demokratien und die Legitimität von Konflikten anzuerkennen (conflictual consensus) und auf dieser Basis Konflikte um Gemeinwohlziele auszutragen.In government policy, security of supply, affordability and the protection of the climate and the environment are postulated as equal goals of the German energy transition (Energiewende). There is no explicit prioritization of these supposed goals. This leads to problems both in terms of the success of the Energiewende itself, and in terms of its effects on the political culture. Conflicts over the implementation of the Energiewende increasingly reveal a crisis of democracy, which cannot be adequately responded to in negotiations over concrete energy projects. A one-sided focus on the deliberative model of democracy further exacerbates the symptoms of a democratic crisis. From a radical democratic perspective, the key to constructively addressing both climatic and democratic challenges is to encourage a confrontation between competing Energiewende visions in a way that is compatible with a pluralistic understanding of democracy.