Scholz in the government survey: self-confident, but not very specific

In the government survey, Chancellor Scholz is unimpressed as usual. He defends the decisions of the coalition committee as pragmatic but goal-oriented. The opposition is sharply critical.

The government bench was well occupied as seldom. A cheerful Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner next to a somewhat tired-looking Federal Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck. At the lectern, a Chancellor who is satisfied with himself and the world defends the decisions of the coalition committee. Even if the agreement was only reached after three days of negotiations – Olaf Scholz is convinced that Germany is now making progress in climate protection and infrastructure. And thanks to pragmatic solutions, no citizen is left in the lurch.

That is the difference from before, according to Scholz: “There will be speed, acceleration, and these tasks will all be pursued in a targeted manner. The standstill of the last few decades, which we owe to conservative politics, is finally over. Now speed is coming in Germany. “

Criticism from the Union

The deputies of the traffic light groups applaud, criticism comes from the Union. Group Vice-Chairman Andreas Jung accuses the Chancellor of forgoing binding emission targets for individual sectors. “Softening the Climate Protection Act instead of complying with it, how can you take responsibility for that?” asks Jung.

Scholz denies that there will be no more annual targets in the future. Every two years, the traffic light will check whether it needs to make adjustments – but proceed more flexibly. “Plain, simple, unreflective, linear thinking that only looks at year after year and doesn’t even take into account what will happen in the next year and the year after that is a way of thinking that is simply misleading and leads to wrong decisions,” says Scholz.

Wissler: climate protection “actually weakened”

The Chancellor promises more pragmatic and unbureaucratic solutions to achieve the climate target for 2045 – including when switching to more environmentally friendly heating systems. His government takes citizens’ concerns seriously and is preparing subsidy programs for the installation of new heating systems.

The left chairwoman Janine Wissler cannot convince: The climate protection law has “actually weakened” the traffic light, she criticizes. Scholz legitimizes the failure of the liberal Minister of Transport Wissing: “You still speak of – quote: ‘very, very, very good results’. But you also recently said that Mr. Wissing was a very, very good Minister of Transport. Well, yes …”.

The chancellor smiles mischievously and appears unimpressed: “First of all, you reported correctly: That is a very, very good result of the talks. And secondly, Federal Minister Wissing is a very, very good transport minister.”

More clarity in April

The FDP MPs applaud enthusiastically. In any case, they are very satisfied because the liberals have pushed through many of their concerns. Scholz, in turn, enjoys the government survey. He contradicts an AfD deputy who critically asks whether there will be a de facto ban on oil and gas heating. This was never up for debate. “And that’s why I can also ask you to say reassuringly to all citizens who write to you: Everything is fine! The chancellor is doing it properly and it will work!”

A self-confident but not very concrete Chancellor. More clarity is not expected until April. Then the federal government wants to present a draft law to promote heating conversion – with various options for heating in a climate-conscious manner.