Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) believe that the controversial heating law can be passed soon. “I see no fundamental problem in getting a good law and a degree before the summer holidays,” said Habeck on Monday in Berlin. Scholz was also optimistic. The FDP, on the other hand, remains reserved about the heating law.
Habeck and Scholz optimistic about the summer breakthrough in the building energy law
After the most recent talks between the coalition partners, Habeck expressed hope for an end to the dispute within the government. The debate about the amended Building Energy Act (GEG) had been going on “long enough”, he said. Passing the law before the summer break is possible “if all actors play along benevolently”. The talks, which are now being continued behind the scenes, are going “quite well,” said the minister.
According to the Chancellor, the talks were “constructive and making good progress,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner. That is why Scholz is “still optimistic that we can say goodbye to the Bundestag before the summer break”.
Dispute over heating law escalates: FDP warns of hasty decision – no agreement before summer break?
The coalition has been arguing for weeks about future heating requirements. The FDP still sees a need for clarification and considers an agreement before the parliamentary summer break to be unrealistic. FDP General Secretary Djir-Sarai warned against adopting a “bad law” due to time pressure. “I don’t share the view of doing these things before the summer break in the belief that nobody will talk about them afterwards,” said Djir-Sarai on Sunday evening on the ARD program “Report from Berlin”.
The politicians in the coalition are currently in the process of clarifying “the essential questions” regarding the draft law, including the “one-sided focus on the heat pump”. He could not make a forecast by when an agreement on the heating law would be possible. “Whether that will be before the summer break or after the summer break, that is not decisive for me, what is decisive is very concrete what is achieved,” emphasized the FDP Secretary General.
Time is running out: the coalition is fighting to pass the energy law before the summer break
The coalition had actually agreed to pass the law before the summer break in the Bundestag, as it should come into force at the turn of the year. However, time is now running out for this. A first round of deliberations would have to take place in the next week of meetings from June 12th. After that, only two more weeks of sessions are planned before the parliamentary summer recess, which begins in the second week of July.
The Greens insist on adhering to the agreed timetable. The goal is still to complete the parliamentary procedure before the summer break, emphasized Green leader Omid Nouripour. “I am very confident that we will succeed.”
The GEG draft envisages that from 2024 onwards only new heating systems will be installed that are operated with at least 65 percent renewable energies. Various exceptions and support programs are intended to cushion this socially. Meanwhile, Habeck, who presented the law together with Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz (SPD), has announced several changes to enable an agreement with the FDP.
AFP + Blackout-News
Price: € 10.99