Coalition agreement is signed: 177 pages against future trouble

Status: 07.12.2021 6:51 a.m.

Today the SPD, Greens and FDP sign their contract. They set many priorities in this: for example, building, air conditioning or digitization. But the most important issue is another.

By Kai Clement, ARD capital studio

Coalition Agreement is a pretty big name for a non-legally binding document. But with three so different partners, you write down as much as possible beforehand. That saves – at least one hope – later trouble.

The traffic light did not set one of the topics itself – but it was the first and most important task, said Olaf Scholz at the SPD special party conference: “That we fight the corona pandemic with all of our strength and that is also our task, with which we are about to begin. “

The coalition agreement names the health crisis before the climate crisis. Compulsory vaccinations, incidences, intensive workload: all these topics now land on the desk of the man on whom they are already lying: Karl Lauterbach. He says that the focus now must of course be “that in the weeks that we still have, we reduce the number of cases so much that we can have the best possible Christmas vacation and also be able to travel”.

“Be a climate government”

“What challenges the country,” says the coalition agreement, is also the climate crisis: it threatens “freedom, prosperity and security”. Climate protection is becoming a cross-cutting task for all departments – that’s why there is a climate check for all new laws. Claudia Roth from the Greens calls this a “departure into reality”: they have resolved to be “a climate government”.

A climate check, however, does not mean a right of veto for the future super-minister Robert Habeck. This is what the Greens originally wanted. Just like a coal phase-out by 2030. The coalition agreement now only says: ideally by 2030. Climate toads for the Greens. “But we have four years – we’ll see how short four years are – to change the dynamics and that is our aim to do the same,” says Habeck.

“Digital” is one of the favorite words

In addition to the climate check, there is also a digital check. In general, “digital” is one of the favorite words in the coalition agreement. And the FDP. It wants to make analog Germany digital legs. “In too many places in our country, as we joked before the general election, you have to drive your car to shop online. Because we don’t have the infrastructure that suits the world’s fourth-largest economy,” says Christian Lindner. The FDP boss and future finance minister sees digitization as a key issue: for the administration as well as for the economy.

With the traffic light government, a ministry is returning that has not existed in an independent form for over two decades: a building ministry. It is the shell for a central election promise of the SPD: 400,000 new apartments per year, a quarter of which are publicly funded.

This ministry will be headed by Klara Geywitz, a close confidante of Olaf Scholz: The two had applied as a duo – albeit unsuccessfully – for party chairmanship: “This is a challenge for planning, but also for the construction industry. And with a view to the climate goals we have to do this in a climate-friendly, energy-saving way. “

After the coalition agreement is before the practical check. Or, with Scholz, said in a very Hanseatic way: “Yes, and now let’s get to work.”

With climate and digital check: the coalition agreement of the traffic light parties

Kai Clement, ARD Berlin, December 7th, 2021 5:33 am

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