After many debates, the traffic light was able to agree on Economics Minister Habeck's heating plans. Associations feel ignored with the decision.
Munich/Berlin - Economics Minister Robert Habeck has been under pressure for some time. The new Building Energy Act (GEG) was a long road for the Green politician. After the federal government agreed on the law in April, the accusation is being made that the ministry is said to have written it without regard to expert opinions. A total of 88 associations have commented on Habeck's plan and are annoyed by the result. The Minister of Economics already has enough trouble with the "best man affair".
Associations feel ignored by Habeck's heating plans
From the first of January 2024, all newly installed heating systems are to be powered by at least 65 percent renewable energies. According to Bild, there were 105 statements on this law in advance, which pointed out possible problems associated with the heating plans. Some associations feel ignored because their letters seem to have gone unheeded. "I have serious doubts as to whether there is any interest in taking up our criticism at all. We simply feel ignored," said the head of the Association of Cities and Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, the image.
Robert Habeck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, in the Bundestag. © Michael Kappeler/dpa
The concerns of the tenants' association were apparently not taken into account either. Tenants' Association President Lukas Siebenkotten told Bild that tenants would be left alone with the costs. "If the federal government wants to convert a large part of the heating systems in Germany to renewable energies in the next few years, then this will require comprehensive reforms of tenancy law and real social support," he said.
Meanwhile, the association Haus und Grund criticized the ban on the installation of gas heaters. "But the law was whipped through the cabinet. Parliament must now catch up on the broad social discussion," association president Kai Wernecke told Bild. Not every opinion can be incorporated into a law, but the associations and experts still have the chance to be heard. The law still has to be voted on in the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
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Criticism from the FDP of Habeck's "witness affair"
Habeck has a lot to do at the moment. In addition to the heating plans, the Green politician has to deal with personnel problems. The focus is on Habeck's state secretary Patrick Graichen, who was involved in the selection of the new managing director of the German Energy Agency (Dena), Michael Schäfer, although he is his best man. The FDP and the opposition strongly criticize the Minister of Economic Affairs. "Robert Habeck must immediately ensure transparent structures in his ministry, even if this concerns the advice of the ministry. If this does not happen, the Chancellery will have to intervene," FDP politician Christopher Vogt told Bild on Friday (5 May).
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CDU politician Julia Klöckner called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the newspaper to clarify the question of "whether the mammoth energy transition project is about the interests of a circle of friends and foreign lobbyists." She was referring to the alleged role played by U.S. environmental lobbyist Hal Harvey in Graichen's network and the department's climate policy. Harvey sits on the board of directors of Graichen's former employer, the Agora Energiewende think tank.
The Left Party parliamentary group is calling for personnel consequences in the Graichen case and clarification of further private links in the personnel policy of Green ministries. Despite the difficulties in Habeck's ministry, Green Party politician Jürgen Trittin warned not to link Habeck's heating plans to the affair. (VK with dpa)