When will the controversial heating law come out? After the dismissal of State Secretary Graichen, the FDP put the brakes on. She does not want to pass the law before the summer break – there are too many unanswered questions. SPD and Greens react indignantly.
The controversial Building Energy Act (GEG) is once again causing a heated argument in the traffic light coalition. After the announced departure of State Secretary for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen, the FDP launched a debate about the schedule for the so-called Heating Act.
The party argues that with Graichen, Parliament has lost the contact person for the topic, so more time is needed. The SPD and the Greens see no connection between the two issues.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck yesterday announced the resignation of his State Secretary Graichen after he had failed to sufficiently separate private and professional matters in two cases. Graichen played a central role in the energy transition.
“Group still has around 100 questions for Habeck”
Habeck is aiming for the law to be passed before the parliamentary summer recess, which begins on July 7. “I think it’s out of the question to say goodbye before the summer break,” FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai told the “Bild” newspaper. “It is not decisive when the JIT is passed,” he said. “What is crucial is that it becomes a good law that does not overwhelm anyone and enables many technologies.”
The FDP General Secretary announced a list of questions to the Economics Minister. “The FDP parliamentary group still has around 100 questions for Robert Habeck. As long as these have not been answered, the deliberations on the law cannot begin,” he explained.
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.
Kühnert sees no reason for delay
The SPD and the Greens are resisting the FDP’s demand to delay the schedule. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert said in the ZDF “heute journal” with regard to Graichen’s departure: “The two issues have nothing to do with each other.” There is no climate neutrality in Germany without addressing the type of heating. Nothing has changed in this need.
Green parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge sees it the same way. If the FDP announces a delay, then because they want to postpone something, said Dröge in the ARD broadcast Maischberger. Many employees of two ministries were involved in the law. In addition, parliaments could write and edit laws themselves.
See Left Party and Union need for clarification
Left faction leader Amira Mohamed Ali sees Minister Habeck badly damaged by Graichen’s mistakes. “Depending on what is still being brought to light, his whereabouts in office must also be questioned,” she told the “Rheinische Post”. “The investigation must continue.”
The Union also sees a need for clarification. The Economics Committee of the Bundestag wants to deal with further open questions on the policy of the Ministry of Economics on Wednesday. This emerges from the agenda available to the dpa news agency.
Among other things, it should be about “possible conflicts of interest at the management level of the BMWK in industrial policy, foreign trade policy, digital and innovation policy and here in particular in start-up funding”.
Linnemann for stopping the heating law
“Now we have to wipe the slate clean. The heating exchange law has to go back into the workshop,” said CSU financial politician Sebastian Brehm. “The attempt to push the half-baked Habeck draft through the Bundestag before the summer break must be stopped.”
His Union colleague Carsten Linnemann goes even further in his criticism. Habeck should now completely stop the law, he told the newspapers of the Bayern media group. It goes “completely past reality”.