Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock: The statutes of the Greens provide for a separation of party and ministerial offices.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin They are standing together for the last time here in the Berlin Velodrom as party leaders of the Greens. “A strange moment,” describes Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck. However, it is not a farewell: “A new act begins,” said Habeck on Friday at the Green party conference.
Four years ago, together with Annalena Baerbock, today’s Federal Foreign Minister, he set out to broaden the Greens and, if possible, lead them into the government. Now, as ministers, both have to resign as party leaders of the Greens. That is what the statute says.
But before that, Habeck defended himself and the government against some resentment from the base: “Okay, the Ministry of Transport is missing, but hey, we have 14 point X percent, not 25 point X percent.” Habeck says you will be able to compensate for that clever interaction between the ministries. “We can shape reality and that’s no reason to be faint-hearted, quite the opposite.”
He swears his party to compromise. “Compromises are the art of politics,” says Habeck. However, they did not mean a farewell to ideals.
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“Yes, the taxonomy is a difficult chapter,” admits Habeck. And even if the Greens rejected the planned inclusion of nuclear power and natural gas in the EU category for green investments, it is still good that they can at least work towards the government now making the subsidies for new gas-fired power plants be so tailored that the infrastructure of the plants does not cement old structures, but is geared to the needs of the future.
Habeck: Subsidy for building renovation “enormously oversubscribed”
Habeck also defended the promotion of building renovation and the abrupt end last Monday and announced solutions for applications that were still open. Of a total of five billion euros in funding, 1.8 billion are still left and “a little something” is still to come. But the program was enormously oversubscribed and it was not possible to make budgetary funds liquid. “That was a hard cut.”
Nevertheless, one can be happy “that we now have the responsibility”. It’s going to take a while, but the next program “will be more social, won’t have this deadweight effect on those who might not need it,” and it will have a better record on carbon emissions.
Both say goodbye to the office of party leader.
(Photo: dpa)
Once again Habeck pleaded for a faster expansion of renewable energies as an instrument against rising energy prices: “Energy prices are a real problem for many people.” Socio-political measures are necessary, such as the planned heating cost subsidy for housing benefit.
The planned abolition of the levy under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will only dampen the rise in energy prices. Further solutions must be found, which essentially lie in the expansion of renewable energies. “That’s why we were elected.” In the end, green electricity is cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels. “And they make us more independent.”
Baerbock: Four great years together
Habeck speaks for a good 20 minutes, without a cheat sheet, he knows the topics well. It follows still co-boss Baerbock, who has gained self-confidence since the stumbled election campaign. “These were great four years together,” Baerbock summarizes the time at the top of the party.
Climate policy, security and peace policy, these are her topics. “We stand by Ukraine’s side on security and defence, but above all on the question of maintaining economic stability,” stressed the Foreign Minister.
The political federal director, Michael Kellner, emphasizes: “We are no longer a small party.” A new era is beginning now. It’s not about knowing better, but about doing better. This is how his party is measured. That’s what the Greens started for, that’s what they fought for.
Prior to this, Kellner was harsh on ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) after his criticism of Foreign Minister Baerbock’s course on Russia. “The remarks that I heard from Gerhard Schröder are unworthy of a former Chancellor,” says Kellner. “These statements undermine the efforts of the federal government to find a peaceful solution and they reverse cause and effect.”
>>Read here: SPD is looking for unity on the Russia question
The Greens had started their predominantly digital party conference at 5 p.m., motto “Roots for the future”. A smaller group of top politicians from the party came together in the Berlin Velodrom; no delegates were present.
On Saturday, the Greens will elect their new federal executive. Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang are applying as party leaders. Emily Büning wants to become the political director of the federal government. The Hamburg native knows the party headquarters well. She has been organizational director of the Greens since 2012 and thus something of the most important manager of the party administration.
More: Robert Habeck’s balancing act: A minister between climate and economy