Party conference
Lang sees reason for self-criticism among the Greens
Ricarda Lang is against cutting social spending. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa
How can climate protection projects of the traffic light coalition be financed after the budget ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court? The answer is likely to play a role at the Green Party conference.
Immediately before the start of the party conference in Karlsruhe, which is overshadowed by the current budget crisis, the Green Party leader sees Ricarda Lang also gives rise to self-criticism. “We should ask ourselves why some people are still prejudiced against us,” she told the news portal “t-online” (Thursday). “We are not entirely innocent of this.” The Greens are currently polling around 15 percent. According to co-party leader Omid Nouripour, the Greens also want to make “central decisions” on climate policy at the party conference, which lasts until Sunday.
At the party conference, which has the motto “Do what counts,” Lang and Nouripour are running for re-election. The Greens want to debate two emergency motions on migration and Israel. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is expected to give a speech on the Middle East conflict.
The question of how climate protection projects of the traffic light coalition and other core concerns of the Greens could now be financed after the Federal Constitutional Court’s budget ruling is likely to play an important role for the 825 delegates.
Long against cuts in social spending
Lang warned: “Cutting social spending is definitely the wrong approach. In times of crisis, more security and justice are needed, not less.” Suspending the debt brake is “a solution” that the coalition needs to talk about. She also called for a reform of the debt rule anchored in the Basic Law, for example through a clause to enable more investments.
The Federal Constitutional Court has declared a reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to be unconstitutional. The federal government is not allowed to use funds intended to combat the Corona crisis for other purposes. According to an initial assessment, other special funds such as the one for energy price brakes are also affected.
Nouripour told the “Augsburger Allgemeine” that it was the party’s historic task to bring prosperity, climate protection and justice together. The party conference will also provide “orientation on migration policy” and underline solidarity with Israel.
Climate Union calls for revision of the climate protection law
The Union-affiliated Climate Union association called on the Greens to revise the climate protection law. In a letter to Lang and other leading party and parliamentary group representatives available to the German Press Agency (dpa), Climate Union chairman and CDU member of the Bundestag Thomas Heilmann suggests further development of the law in terms of sector goals, follow-up mechanisms and the role of the expert council.
The draft law introduced by the federal government stipulates that a new climate protection program will not be presented until the next legislative period. The traffic light therefore violates the Basic Law because climate protection should not be put off for a long time, warned Heilmann. 14 experts recently made similar statements in a Bundestag hearing. After the heating law and the climate fund, the traffic lights in the climate protection law risk the next defeat in Karlsruhe.
Kellner: “We mustn’t give up on our dream of becoming a Chancellor”
Meanwhile, Green Party politician Michael Kellner warned his party against having too much trouble with governing. “In such situations, some of the Greens have the reflex to retreat into the niche. But that is wrong,” said the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics in an interview with “Spiegel”. “The Greens must not give up their dream of becoming chancellor, no matter how difficult that may be at the moment.”
Kellner also called for structural reforms before the upcoming party conference. “If we want to lead in the long term, we have to become faster and clearer,” said the Green politician. The party takes too long for messages and papers. While she is still advising internally, the competition has already been on the air for a long time. Regarding the heating law from Economics Minister Robert Habeck, which came under massive criticism last spring, Kellner said: “We didn’t explain enough, all the arguments, facts and offers of relief trickled out too late.” This damaged the matter.
Kubicki calls for more realism in migration policy
Meanwhile, deputy FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki called on his coalition partner to be more realistic in migration policy. The Greens’ approval of ending payments for private sea rescue in the Mediterranean is “the first, small step out of the motley cloud cuckoo land towards a sensible migration policy,” said Kubicki to the German Press Agency in Berlin. “I expect further energetic steps at the upcoming Federal Delegates Conference and an unequivocal confirmation of the latest federal-state agreements on migration.”