For the heating law by Robert Habeck (Greens), a first reading should be scheduled for Tuesday. Otherwise the traffic light is threatened with a chaotic summer break.
Berlin – The traffic light coalition has been arguing about the so-called heating law planned by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) for months. The positions of the SPD, Greens and FDP are sometimes still far apart. The law was originally supposed to be passed before the summer break – but a first reading would have to be scheduled for June 13th. The traffic light factions continued their negotiations over the weekend, and no solution seemed in sight by Sunday afternoon.
A call for a compromise to the Greens came from within the party at the weekend: “We have to get the GEG coordinated with the coalition partners, even if we end up finding parts of it insufficient,” said Renate Künast. “For me it is not ethical not to have a vision. Equally, however, it is not justifiable not to make any compromises and thus prevent at least a little progress being made at last.” Strong headwind came from the opposition at the weekend.
Habeck’s heating law: Söder’s protest the loudest from the opposition
Loud protests against the planned heating law could be heard from Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) at the weekend. In front of 13,000 people Söder stormed at a protest rally in the Munich suburb of Erding: The draft of the GEG amendment “completely ignores reality” and belongs in the “drawer”. Because anti-democratic tones could also be heard at the rally, Söder’s participation in it has now often been criticized. He said “Yes to climate protection, but no to this ideologically green heating law,” Söder called out to the participants in the protest. Above all, he called for incentives instead of bans.
The chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Yasmin Fahimi, accused the traffic light coalition of unsettling citizens. They have been debating “unfinished concepts in public” for months, leaving people alone with the fear that replacing the heating system could overwhelm them financially. The tenants’ association also called for improvements at the weekend: In future, tenants should be able to decide which heating system the landlord should install – and benefit from subsidies.
Heating law in the traffic light: FDP calls for improvements, Habeck and Scholz are optimistic
Due to fundamental concerns, the FDP has so far prevented the draft law on heating replacement passed by the cabinet from being dealt with in the Bundestag. The so-called Heating Act provides, among other things, specifications for the installation of new, climate-friendly heating systems. In practice, this would amount to a ban on new oil and gas heating systems. The pressure on Habeck is increasing: the summer break begins after July 7th. FDP politicians had recently emphasized that the Liberals would not allow themselves to be put under time pressure.
“A first reading is possible if we can agree on common target paths, for example that wood and biomass are no longer discriminated against in the law, homeowners are given appropriate transitional periods when replacing the heating system and exceptions against excessive demands not only apply to the very old,” said the building and housing policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Daniel Föst, last week. Loud South German newspaperg, the FDP relies on market-based solutions and rejects focusing on the heat pump.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the weekend that the law was being examined in all directions in the Bundestag with one single goal: “No one should be overwhelmed and have to do something that he or she cannot afford.” The current version is already there very different from a bill that has not been discussed to the end. Habeck himself was optimistic last week that the reading could take place. He said: “In my view, there is no reason not to do it, because the corridors for agreements are clearly defined by the many discussions and public announcements.” (dpa / AFP / kat)
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