After the announced resignation of Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen, the FDP slowed down the heating law promoted by the ministry. “I think it’s out of the question to say goodbye before the summer break,” said FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai Picture-Newspaper. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) actually plans that the Building Energy Act (GEG) will be passed in the Bundestag by the beginning of July. On July 7, Parliament will go on summer recess.
“It doesn’t matter when the GEG is passed. What matters is that it becomes a good law that doesn’t overwhelm anyone and enables many technologies,” said Djir-Sarai. He announced a catalog of questions from his group to Habeck. “The FDP parliamentary group still has around 100 questions for Robert Habeck. As long as these have not been answered, deliberations on the law cannot even begin,” said the FDP general secretary.
The spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group for energy policy, Michael Kruse, had previously said that the legislative projects initiated by Graichen would have to be checked by Habeck for practicality. “In view of the power vacuum in the ministry’s top management, Minister Habeck should propose a new, realistic timetable for a version of the heating law based on the coalition agreement,” said Kruse.
According to the draft adopted by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 onwards every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energy. This should apply to all owners under 80 years of age. Existing oil and gas heaters can continue to be operated, broken heaters can be repaired. The law is intended to herald the departure from gas and oil heating systems.
The SPD, on the other hand, sees no reason to postpone the planned heating law because of the departure of State Secretary for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert rejected a corresponding request by the FDP on Wednesday evening in the ZDF “Heute Journal”. “Both issues have nothing to do with each other,” emphasized Kühnert. There is no climate neutrality in Germany without addressing the type of heating. Nothing has changed in this need.
Kühnert said of Graichen: “The expulsion was right and in the end it was inevitable.” When allocating jobs and public funds, not even the semblance of friendly service should arise. Habeck’s step was necessary to restore trust in the actions of the ministry, but also in the federal government as a whole.