Status: 11.12.2022 06:00 a.m
The infrastructure is to be modernized – the traffic light parties agree on that. But while the Greens want to prioritize projects such as railway expansion and renewables, the FDP also demands faster road construction.
In the coalition dispute over transport policy, the FDP is increasing the pressure and insisting on speeding up planning, including for road construction. She wants not only the rail but also the road infrastructure to be upgraded quickly. This emerges from a draft resolution for the meeting of the FDP Presidium on Monday, which ARD Capital Studio present.
The aim is to at least halve the duration of planning and approval procedures “for all modes of transport”. All necessary decisions must be made and implemented before the end of this year. From the point of view of the FDP, this is “the clear mandate of the coalition agreement”.
The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has taken up the cause of accelerating planning and approval procedures. “We will modernize the public infrastructure, public spaces and networks and significantly accelerate planning, approval and implementation,” says the coalition agreement. But the parties have different priorities. The dispute deals with Report from Berlin on Sunday with Transport Minister Volker Wissing as an interview guest.
Environment Minister Lemke counters this
The FDP minister has encountered resistance from the Greens with a proposed law for faster approvals for transport projects. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said that central projects such as the expansion of renewables or bridge replacements need to be accelerated. For them, however, this did not include motorways, airports, new roads or waterways.
In the Presidium’s draft resolution, the FDP reaffirms its view that “the road will continue to play an important role in the future”. She writes: “Only with an efficient road, rail, waterway and cycle path network can we make investments quickly and meet society’s individual mobility needs.”
According to the draft resolution, the Free Democrats want a sustainable infrastructure to be included in the Basic Law as a state goal. Replacement new motorway bridges should be able to be realized without renewed approval and environmental impact assessment. Following the example of wind turbines, more standardization in species protection should also make planning easier for transport projects.
No agreement with the Greens on fundamental issues
There is also another requirement. According to the draft, the FDP wants to add to the list of projects for which the Federal Administrative Court is responsible in the first instance for the areas of roads and waterways. This could shorten disputes in court and would have an impact on lawsuits by environmental organizations against construction projects.
The FDP initiative can be understood as a conscious positioning in the smoldering conflict with the Greens. This week Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a conversation with the quarreling Ministers Wissing and Lemke. As with the topics of the combustion engine and speed limit, the dissent between the FDP and the Greens on fundamental issues is also revealed in the debate about accelerating planning for transport projects.
FDP wants higher allowances for inheritance tax
The FDP Presidium also wants to make a decision on inheritance tax on Monday. The draft dem ARD Capital Studio is available, supports corresponding proposals by FDP leader and finance minister Christian Lindner. Under the heading “For higher allowances for inheritance tax – states must act now”, the Free Democrats are calling on the state governments to tackle an increase in the allowances. They demand: “The allowances for inheritance tax should be increased by 25 percent. In addition, the tax allowances from inheritance and gift tax should be fully and automatically adjusted to inflation in the future (indexation).”
The background is that real estate owners and heirs will have to reckon with a higher tax burden from next year because the valuation will be adjusted. The adjustment had been initiated in the government responsibility before the start of the traffic light in response to a constitutional court ruling.
The report from Berlin deals with this topic today from 6 p.m. in the first.