The dispute over the heating law has once again plunged the traffic light into a government crisis. Due to fundamental concerns of the FDP, the law will not be on the agenda of the Bundestag this week. This makes it unlikely that it can be passed before the summer break as planned. The Greens, in turn, are now questioning other projects of the traffic light coalition.
At the coalition committee at the end of March, they not only agreed on the timetable for the heating replacement, but on an overall package, said Britta Haßelmann, leader of the Greens parliamentary group. For this reason, the planning acceleration law for the entire transport sector cannot be launched. This includes the faster expansion of certain motorways. The traffic light had also agreed on an amendment to the climate protection law and investments in the railways at the 30-hour coalition committee. All of this is now in question due to the behavior of the FDP, according to the Greens parliamentary group.
FDP demands complete revision
Economics Minister Robert Habeck accused the FDP of “breach of word”. It had been clearly agreed in the coalition committee that the legislative process should be completed before the parliamentary summer recess. “That will no longer be possible with the postponement,” said the Green politician. “I note that the FDP is not keeping its word at this point.” Green party leader Haßelmann called on the FDP to end their blocking stance. If the law is not discussed in the next week of meetings, the traffic light coalition’s ability to act will be damaged.
However, the FDP has fundamental concerns about the law that is intended to ban the installation of new oil and gas heating systems from 2024. It was passed in the cabinet, but with a minute of the FDP. The FDP considers the law to be immature and calls for a complete overhaul. “It’s amazing that the Greens just want to continue to push through a bill that falls through with practitioners and experts,” said the FDP Presidium.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christoph Meyer accused the Greens of putting “their ideology” in the foreground when it came to the heating law. “You can’t push a bad law through parliament without regard to losses that significantly overwhelms tenants and owners,” he told the Tagesspiegel.
The Greens budget politician Paula Piechotta warns of the social consequences of the dispute. “In times of many upheavals, politics is particularly challenged to create stability, predictability and security,” she said. “Anyone who does not contribute to this only strengthens the radical forces. We simply cannot afford that in East Germany.”
Source: Tagesspiegel
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