The future traffic light government presented its coalition agreement today as a major climate protection program.
But the Greens came away empty-handed at two crucial ministries.
Berlin - When Greens co-chief Robert Habeck presented the coalition agreement to the future traffic light government at a press conference on Wednesday, it got emotional. Visibly moved and sometimes proud, he explained how green the new government will be, how much more climate protection it will pursue even without tightening Merkel's goals. However, his party had to swallow a bitter pill in two positions that are crucial for the climate.
This is how the parties divide the ministries: The FDP is to receive four ministries in the future traffic light government as the weakest force (92 seats in the Bundestag) - education, finance, justice and transport.
The Greens (118 seats) are allowed to administer five ministries: Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Family, Environment, Economy.
The SPD (206 seats) also has five departments: Labor, Building, Development Aid, Health, Defense - and with Olaf Scholz, of course, the Chancellery.
The Ampel government's coalition agreement shows where the Greens decide - and where they don't
At first glance, a look at the Green Offices looks quite green: As Federal Minister of Economics, Habeck will not only control the fortunes of the local prosperity, but also the energy departments for electricity and heat. The Ministry of the Environment, which the Greens will head in the future, is not only a central component of the energy transition because of its name, but also because the issue of emissions trading is part of it. And the Ministry of Agriculture? That sounds green anyway.
However - and this is shown by the ongoing debate about the electric car - the Greens are denied an important adjustment screw for the climate change: the direct impact on the roads and rails.
The Ministry of Transport turns liberal and yellow.
Central climate protection issues are also decided in the construction department, which is to be in the hands of the SPD in the future, such as thermal insulation and energy consumption in real estate.
Fridays for Future and Greenpeace criticize Greens for traffic light coalition agreement
What makes it more difficult for the Greens is that Habeck, unlike FDP man Lindner, who sits on the treasure chest as finance minister, does not have the right to veto his ministry of economics and climate protection.
The response from environmentalists to the government timetable presented today therefore echoes in different tones: Fridays for Future and Greenpeace criticize the coalition agreement, the youth organization of the Greens believes that it does not yet do justice to social needs.
The WWF, on the other hand, praised the contract as a “solid foundation for the departure into a sustainable future”.
The first traffic light government in Germany must now prove how sustainable it really is.
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