Madam President of the Bundestag, you have repeatedly criticized the parliamentary groups of the traffic light, but also the Federal Chancellery, because laws were made too quickly and with too little time for appropriate consultation. Has anything improved?
Bas: I deliberately put this stop sign early because I had the impression that a rhythm from the pandemic period had become established. Laws were often made quickly and under great time pressure. Some of the experts had also complained that, despite all their professionalism, they were not able to penetrate an issue sufficiently deeply with just a few hours of preparation. I hear that people want to give themselves more time with the climate protection law, for example. I hope that my reminder will have a lasting effect.
With the Building Energy Act, the GEG, one did not get the impression that things were particularly regulated. Can advice really be given in peace?
Bas: It’s annoying that it took so long for the GEG to reach the German Bundestag. One problem is that many citizens are of the opinion that a bill that has been passed by the cabinet is already law. The legislative work of the Bundestag is only just beginning. The debate beforehand was not good. But now we have discussed it this week in plenary and committee and there are still three weeks to go.
And then, President of the Bundesrat Tschentscher, will the Bundestag decide on the GEG on the last day of its session before the summer break, and the Bundesrat should approve it – with shortened deadlines – on the same day?
Tschentscher: That remains to be seen. But we have had cases in which it was the same: The Bundestag passed a law in the third reading in the morning while the Bundesrat session had already begun. A “riding messenger” then brought the law to us, and we invoked it. But these were urgent decisions. These cases must remain the exception.
In which cases did it go too fast?
Tschentscher: During the corona pandemic, we had a number of decisions for which the planned deadline of six or three weeks could not be met.
Will it be possible for the Federal Council to make a decision on the Building Energy Act before the parliamentary summer recess without shortened deadlines?
Tschentscher: No, without shortening the deadline, the Federal Council can no longer decide on the GEG before the summer break. If the Bundestag sees an important reason for shortening the deadline, it can request this. Then the Federal Council decides how to react to it.
And how does it go?
Tschentscher: The federal states are already in contact with the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag via other channels. So we don’t expect any big surprises at the end. However, it is always better to follow the procedures provided.
Are too many laws being made?
Bas: Basically no. In the pandemic, which presented us with completely new challenges in many respects, there were many. Another reason for the dense processes is that the government factions want to conclude the respective law quickly after an agreement. At the same time, it is sometimes forgotten that there are opposition factions, and of course they also have rights.
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