Friday June 11th 2021
Baerbock and Habeck strengthened
Greens stay in line with the CO2 price
After the mistakes of the last few weeks, the Green Party Congress votes with a large majority for the course of the two party leaders: applications for an even higher CO2 price, a tougher speed limit or an early end to the combustion engine do not make it into the electoral program.
The Greens have backed their party leadership on key climate policy issues. A clear majority decided that the CO2 price should only increase to 60 euros by 2023. Further demands from climate activists did not prevail. Even a general Tempo 70 on country roads did not find a majority. The Fridays For Future activist Jakob Blasel had introduced an amendment according to which the CO2 price should rise to 80 euros in the coming year. According to the findings of science, this was necessary, Blasel had justified the request.
In contrast, party leader Robert Habeck defended the position of the federal executive committee. For the energy turnaround, social majorities would have to be organized, but the required CO2 price would be too demanding. In addition, the CO2 price was not the only instrument, it was about a “mix of measures” for balanced climate protection. The CO2 price is one of the factors that determine the future level of the petrol price. The Greens with their candidate for Chancellor Annalena Baerbock were recently criticized for demands to raise the price of petrol faster than previously planned.
The delegates rejected another amendment that demanded that the reduction in the EEG surcharge be withdrawn. To agree to this would be a “fatal signal” in the election year because of the expected increase in electricity prices, said Vice-President of the Greens, Oliver Krischer. The party congress reiterated the Greens’ call for a speed limit of 130 on motorways. However, the demand for a general speed limit of 70 kilometers per hour on country roads was rejected. This would be “far too undifferentiated,” said Federal Managing Director Michael Kellner. Commuters would suffer as a result. In the end, the delegates rejected a proposal by a large majority to aim for phasing out the internal combustion engine as early as 2025. This means that the election program remains at the date of 2030. The entire chapter “Protecting livelihoods” was approved in the evening with a large majority.
Error admitted after a furious start
Habeck agreed to the approximately 700 delegates for the federal election in three and a half months. “We Bündnis90 / The Greens are facing the election campaign of our lives,” he said. His party wants to make the necessary profound changes in such a way that people are not overwhelmed.
The task is to be “about twice as fast” in climate policy as in the past, said Habeck with a view to expanding renewable energies or saving CO2. It is not enough to say, “We want to go there and not describe the way there,” emphasized the Green leader, alluding to the grand coalition. With a view to the decline in the polls after a “furious start” Habeck again admitted that mistakes had been made. He appealed to his party “for the future to go through thick and thin with serenity and strength”.
Hofreiter criticizes hypocrisy
Green parliamentary group leader Anton Hofreiter criticized the Union and SPD in climate policy as “hypocritical”. During the reform of the climate protection law, they were “not driven by the cause”, but by the desire to “clear away” the issue for the election campaign, he said at the party congress.
Baerbock’s speech will be the focus of the second consultation day on Saturday. Together with Habeck, she should provide the top election duo. Both are to be elected to this position by the delegates, and Baerbock is also to be confirmed as candidate for Chancellor.
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