The chairmen of the traffic light parties demonstrated unity after the three-day coalition committee and, in some cases, severe criticism of the resolutions. Lars Klingbeil (SPD), Omid Nouripour (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP) defended the results of the joint consultations yesterday evening on the ZDF program “maybrit illner”. “We have all moved,” said Nouripour, contradicting statements that the Greens in particular should have lost their feathers in the talks on climate protection. However, looking at the decision paper, he admitted: “It’s not all perfect.”
“Take people with you on this path”
Klingbeil emphasized that the coalition had sensed the insecurity among the citizens, especially when it came to the controversial issue of heating installation. “That was the signal from Sunday, Monday, Tuesday that we are making progress on climate protection, but that we are taking people with us on this path.” The consultations of the three coalition partners had dragged on for several days, in the end decisions were made to speed up planning, for example for motorway and rail projects. A draft law should bring clarity to the heating issue in the coming weeks. This should also include social compensation for high investments in new climate-friendly heating systems.
Lindner, who is also Federal Minister of Finance, emphasized that in view of the “challenging budget situation” it was important to weigh up the different demands of the traffic light partners carefully: “We have to meet the requirements (…), i.e. what we do for climate protection and ask for something else, make it realistic.” Lindner confirmed that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) and he himself had already agreed before the coalition committee, and Scholz then developed a draft resolution from it. From the FDP point of view, however, he was even happier with the results after the negotiation marathon.
“Continue to work together on progress”
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert can even imagine a continuation of the traffic light coalition after 2025, despite the recent dispute. “If the majority in the Bundestag does not change fundamentally, then we want to continue working together on progress,” said Kühnert of the editorial network Germany (RND). The SPD had eight years in a grand coalition. “And whenever I feel a bit of traffic light pain in between, I think back to those eight years and I’m highly motivated that the traffic light will be a success,” said Kühnert.
The opposition once again claimed that the Greens had lost out in the committee talks. “The Greens have completely lost their innocence in climate policy,” said CSU chairman Markus Söder in the capital’s podcast “The Pioneer”. “The Greens have been plucked like never before. And Robert Habeck is the big loser. Because you can’t call this traffic light a climate coalition.” In particular, the Bavarian Prime Minister criticized the decision that the so-called sector targets in climate protection could now be offset by other areas.
