Election campaign: Green Party leader: Union is turning Germany into an industrial museum

The Greens consider the CDU and CSU’s plans for more economic growth to be backwards and extremely dangerous. “While the Hollywood Hills are burning and we broke the 1.5 degree limit again last year, the CDU and CSU are going backwards on climate protection,” criticizes party leader Felix Banaszak. In doing so, CDU leader Friedrich Merz and the CSU chairman, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder, endangered the natural livelihoods of children and Germany as a business location.

The CDU and CSU wanted to undo what had already been achieved. In doing so, they risked “turning Germany into an industrial museum,” said the co-party leader of the Greens. It has long been clear to those responsible in the economy that climate-neutral modernization is necessary and that any delay would be costly. Even the Federation of German Industries (BDI) is now calling for massive investments.

Banaszak refers to BDI’s demand for state investments

The association announced in the summer that it considered additional government financing of up to 400 billion euros over ten years to be necessary. This includes, for example, investments in transport routes, daycare centers and schools, housing construction and climate protection.

When it comes to electricity prices, the CDU is aiming for relief of at least five cents per kilowatt hour. Electricity tax and network fees should decrease. In order to strengthen the automotive industry, the party wants to reverse the phase-out of combustion engines. Banaszak highlights the increase in the share of renewable energy over the past three years and promises voters that his party will “stay the course on climate protection.”

In his criticism, Banaszak also refers to reports about a possible weakening of climate protection goals in Bavaria. As has now become known, the cabinet in Munich had agreed on this as part of the budget negotiations two months ago. However, interpretations within the state government differ as to how final this decision actually should be. Against the background of the economic situation and due to the federal government’s commitment to phasing out nuclear power, the target year will be “adjusted” and, as at the federal level, “set at the year 2045,” according to the cabinet paper from November.

Markus Söder has repeatedly stated that he rejects a coalition between the Union and the Greens after the federal election on February 23rd.