With two elected Greens in key positions, the new German government is innovating. Robert Habeck will head a “Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection” which symbolizes Germany’s desire to bring the two together, and Annalena Baerbock, who will be the first female foreign minister, asserted her opposition at NordStream 2, the gas channel that connects Germany to Russia. Back on this change of course.
The construction of the German government’s 177-page program took several weeks, but it helped consolidate the new coalition. The three components (SPD, Liberals and Greens) had it approved by their respective parties and the new Chancellor, Olaf Stoltz (SPD) takes office with an official priority: putting Germany on a warming trajectory of 1, 5 ° C is a virtual revolution. The climate catastrophe of the summer was indeed an electric shock for the Germans who were able to understand the need to act quickly and strongly to adapt to climate change already underway.
Green MEP Sven Giegold, who is leaving Parliament to join his government as Secretary of State, has published a lengthy statement on his website. For him: “The coalition agreement opens the chance for a new start for Germany and Europe. So that this is not empty words, we need concrete improvements on ecology, social cohesion , economy, society and democracy. “He adds: ” The coalition agreement defines as the number one priority the objective of aligning with the trajectory of the Paris Agreement, which implies “ecological restructuring “of all German industry.”
France-Germany showdown
Energy is the most concrete change of course since the program not only plans to bring forward the exit of coal but also sets itself the objective of covering 80% of electricity needs with renewable energies, in particular solar and wind power. by 2030. The idea is to remain a large industrial country by relying on gas to make the transition. The new government maintains the nuclear phase-out by the end of 2022 and promises “socially fair energy prices” . He also wants to modernize Germany by equipping it with infrastructure suited to its climate ambitions, and digital networks to boost a digital economy in the making.
The program specifies that “economic development and ecological responsibility must be thought of together to preserve and protect our resources with the Sustainable Development Goals as a compass.” The Liberals, the third component of the coalition, nevertheless put the brakes on this green transformation. They keep the Ministry of Finance and they refused to implement a redistributive tax policy like regulating the financial markets.
It will be fascinating to observe the construction of this new economic order based on an explosive cocktail of ecological commitments and industrial transformation while maintaining a relatively flexible financial policy. The coalition calls this the social market economy. If Germany succeeds in its transformation, it should be able to train the whole of Europe and already intends to start mobilizing it. That said, relations with France could be strained in the coming months around nuclear energy. France, which will take the presidency of the European Council for six months from January 1, is fiercely for, the German Greens fiercely against. Their standoff could threaten the future of the European Green Deal