Olaf Scholz uses his guideline competence early on
Image: Reuters
Helmut Schmidt never used it, but Olaf Scholz quite early on. However, the chancellor cannot instruct the parliamentary groups that decide on extending the service lives of nuclear power plants.
Et is not long ago that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained to the public what his authority to issue guidelines means to him. On August 22, he said in response to a related question at the federal press conference. “It’s good that I have them. Not, of course, in the form of writing someone a letter: ‘Please, Minister, do the following’, but it is my job to ensure that the government takes the important decisions that enable us to respond to this crisis.”
The surprise of Monday evening was therefore not that Olaf Scholz has the authority to determine the guidelines of government policy. Article 65 of the Basic Law grants him this, and the Federal Government’s rules of procedure regulate further matters. Rather, the surprise was that after less than a year as chancellor, in a letter to three of his ministers, he expressly referred to this authority to set guidelines, then announced that the service life of three instead of two nuclear power plants (NPP) would be extended until April, and then published this letter.