Heating law: The traffic light coalition should now dare to be more humble

Even the chancellor was surprised. Before the setting sun in Berlin, Olaf Scholz gave a conciliatory speech yesterday early evening at the SPD parliamentary group’s courtyard party. In it he appealed to his comrades, but also to his coalition partners, to show more composure in everyday political life. And at the end he shouted happily: “Now celebrate.” Three hours later, at least for Scholz and the tips of the traffic lights, it was all fun. And after their defeat in Karlsruhe, the SPD, Greens and FDP are now putting their composure to the test.

The 5:2 defeat for the traffic lights

The CDU member of the Bundestag Thomas Heilmann had sued in Karlsruhe against the violation of his rights as a member of parliament by the coalition. He complained about the urgent procedure with which the traffic light wanted to pass the heating law before the summer break after months of bitter debate – and was right. The decision with which the judges prohibited the final reading for this Friday was made 5:2 in his favour. The decision itself as well as the clear majority make the saying from Karlsruhe extremely embarrassing for the traffic light.

And now? Special session of the Bundestag next week, in no time at all, law ready, happy holidays? Better not. If the traffic light just tries to cover up its defeat by another quick shot, it runs into the next disaster. A special session of the Bundestag would be a devastating signal because of the effort and costs, but above all because of the political signal that nothing had actually been learned from the Karlsruhe judgment. It is enough to call up the law again in September, if only because the coalition does not want to decide on the specific subsidy rates for the heating conversion until autumn. It’s better to have more definitive clarity at once than sliced ​​clarity that doesn’t last three days anyway.

Karlsruhe has not only stopped legislation

Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck and Christian Lindner and the rest of the coalition need to realize that Karlsruhe has stopped much more than just a formal legislative process. The whole traffic light type of politics must now be fundamentally examined. Because the lesson from the previous procedure with the heating law is that a majority in parliament is not the same as a majority among the citizens. It doesn’t help to constantly praise yourself for finally taking action on the existential issues of climate protection and energy supply if you constantly thwart the right policy through wrong behavior and thus even endanger it. SPD, Greens and FDP are in the process of screwing up the great opportunity for modernization because they constantly play into the hands of the inertia forces with botched craftsmanship and arrogant behavior.

The traffic light would best use the summer break to become clear about itself. This government should once again dare to be humble. It starts with the chancellor, who has to examine his conflict management and the question of whether it has to go to the extreme every time. At some point the stationery may even run out in the Chancellery. The FDP and the Greens must finally free themselves from their “how-you-me-so-I-you” mode, which is dominated by fouls and revenge fouls. And the coalition as a whole must shed its arrogant habitus, with which it missells the right policy, because it claims to be in possession of the only truth that can bring salvation. And that doesn’t just apply to the Greens.

The self-dwarfing of the Union

And the opposition? Thomas Heilmann went to court single-handedly. The man is a lawyer and was a justice senator in Berlin for four years. He wrote his briefs himself. Heilmann complained not only without a representative in Karlsruhe, but also without the support of his Union faction. On the contrary: the CDU and CSU eyed the activities of the loner suspiciously. Because if he had lost, the concern was, Karlsruhe would have given the coalition’s rapid pace the stamp: tested and approved.

Of course, Friedrich Merz and Co did not want that. But that means nothing other than that they have placed political calculation above their own rights as members of parliament. Parliamentary self-confidence looks different. The Union, which is now celebrating its lone fighter Heilmann, has dwarfed itself with its cowardice to move to Karlsruhe as a faction. That’s why Friedrich Merz should only cheer very quietly.