Gregor Peter Schmitz about the new star and the heating law

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as the saying goes. The intentions of this federal government, especially Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck, with the heating law were certainly good and perhaps even noble. And yet this very law has become a nightmare for the Vice Chancellor himself, who had to have the “heating hammer” held at him almost every day. Also for his party and the traffic light government, which almost fell apart in the dispute over the law.

When you talk to Habeck’s people about the genesis of the law, you hear a hint of self-criticism. However, it is also clear that they feel that they are being treated unfairly, especially by the media. Because the intentions were good, see above. But it is the job of the press to ask critical questions, even if the goals may be good – for example, whether the population is being taken along, whether guidelines are being communicated clearly and understandably. All of this was a problem with the heating law. But what we want to tackle constructively, now that the law is in place: show the opportunities that it offers for all of us on the way to our personal energy transition. Our expert Rolf-Herbert Peters, who is familiar with every trick related to heating, insulation and solar technology, has put together a large service package. Reading is literally worth money, and it benefits the climate.

Hubert Aiwanger doesn’t want to remember anything further. He just gave an interview to the “Augsburger Allgemeine” in which he also answered the question of why he could no longer remember so much about an anti-Semitic leaflet when he was a teenager and when he knew that his brother had written this leaflet . But he didn’t want to see these answers in print and deleted them before publication – which his colleagues made clear. Is this another “media campaign” like Aiwanger senses everywhere? AfD leader Alice Weidel now says: “We are governed by madmen and idiots.” Maybe she is afraid of being overtaken by Aiwanger on the right and is therefore continuing to escalate? And what does that do to politicians like Markus Söder, who was previously considered a master of exaggeration?

The jolt for Germany

The revelation by my colleagues Nico Fried and Veit Medick about the reconciliation between Oskar Lafontaine and Gerhard Schröder met with a broad response. The old men still inspire the minds of many. You can have fun with all the testosterone, but maybe there was just more (personal-political) drama in the past. The current Social Democrat in the Chancellery doesn’t value drama at all. At least Olaf Scholz was recently able to offer an eye patch. However, he was allowed to take them off again. This makes you happy from a medical point of view. From a political perspective, it could be a disadvantage for Scholz.

Germany needs a jolt, we just asked for that again on the title. If you ever doubt whether Germany still has what it takes, I recommend an event: the German Founders’ Prize 2023, which stern awarded last week together with Porsche, ZDF and the savings banks, thanks to the wonderful coordination of my colleague Doris Snowink. Look at the courageous and enthusiastic winners and you know: Things will definitely pick up again in Germany.