Heating law: Opposition complains: “Traffic light is a standstill coalition”

Against the background of the dispute over the heating law, the opposition in the Bundestag has accused the traffic light coalition of self-blockade and standstill. Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch told the German Press Agency: “Every day it becomes clearer: Some people govern here who have little in common in terms of content and who put party interests above the country.” Union faction Vice Ulrich Lange (CSU) told the dpa: “The traffic light is a standstill coalition.”

The coalition has been struggling for weeks over a reform of the building energy law, also known as the heating law. A draft law stipulates that from the beginning of 2024 every newly installed heating system should be operated with at least 65 percent green energy. Above all, the FDP calls for improvements.

The criticisms

“The fact that citizens still don’t know which heating rules will apply from 2024 is hard to beat in terms of absurdity,” says Bartsch. “The constant bickering at the traffic light has turned into a self-blockade.” Due to the disagreement, a lot of the coalition agreement is left behind.

“Climate protection law, accelerated expansion of infrastructure, basic child security. Nothing is making substantial progress. Ministers who are not well off are suffering from this, but millions of citizens are.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) must swear his coalition to go into “delivery mode”.

Lange said: “In the slipstream of the coalition dispute over the heating law, the Greens are blocking the acceleration of planning in the transport sector and a reform of the climate protection law.” Without such, Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) would have to present an immediate climate program in mid-July. In 2022, the transport sector failed to meet the legal requirements for CO2 emissions.

Wissing, in turn, is stopping the reform of road traffic law to annoy the Greens, said Lange. The Minister of Transport is also blocking the increase in the truck toll, so that the logistics industry cannot plan.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) is postponing the federal budget because the ministers cannot agree on savings. Lange: “This shows that the traffic light is no longer capable of governing and has its back against the wall.” The fact that Scholz does not take responsibility destroys trust and produces disenchantment with politics among the population.

The President of the Federal Association of Renewable Energy, Simone Peter, said: “The coalition must find its way back to working efficiently. We now need a problem-solving mentality instead of blocking the negotiations on the GEG. The Germany speed called for by the Chancellor is also required here. A speedy passage of the law serves to ensure planning security for the industry and trade and to protect citizens from the rising costs of fossil fuels.”