Habeck’s heating law: FDP threatens boycott

A draft law led by Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to ban the installation of fossil-fuelled heating systems from 2024. But the coalition partner FDP is now openly threatening a boycott of the green heat transition draft. How ” Bild “ reported that the liberal deliberations in the Bundestag only want to approve the law if the minister first answers a questionnaire with 101 questions.

There will be no negotiations on the law, FDP member of the Bundestag Frank Schäffler tells the newspaper, “if these questions are not answered substantially”.

FDP could not support the heat transition with Habeck’s draft

According to the report, party leader Wolfgang Kubicki, faction leader Carina Konrad and FDP economic experts Frank Schäffler and Torsten Herbst were in charge of developing the questions. For example, Habeck should specifically explain how much CO2 is saved by the measures, how the costs incurred were determined and whether German electricity is green enough at all.

According to the draft law passed by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energy. This is intended to herald the departure from gas and oil heating systems. There is no immediate obligation to replace heating systems in existing buildings. If a device breaks down and can no longer be repaired, there are transitional periods. Boilers should only be able to run on fossil fuels by the end of 2044. The federal cabinet includes all 16 federal ministers and the chancellor, i.e. also members of the FDP parliamentary group.

Economics Minister open to later start

Habeck also indicated at the weekend that he did not necessarily want to stick to the law starting next. The parliamentary deliberations are just beginning. The amendments to the law should be passed before the summer break.