This Friday is the crucial day for the future of brown coal in Germany? The coal Commission meets, perhaps for the last Time. Meanwhile, thousands of students demonstrating for climate protection.
At 10 a.m. this Friday, Federal Minister for economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier, occurs spontaneously in front of the press: The CDU-politician is not even a member of the coal Commission, which meets in his house. If the panel comes after months of long, tough negotiations to a conclusion, but also for Altmaier politically immensely important. Finally, he is responsible for the energy policy of the country responsible, a Failure of the work of the 31-member body would also weaken him.
And, therefore, Altmaier lists three things, which are, in his view, important. First: “achieving our climate protection goals that are important to the world more dynamic when it comes to climate protection.” Secondly: “The preservation and creation of new jobs, particularly in the areas affected by structural change.” It is we the people are guilty. And Thirdly: “we back the security of supply and affordability of power supply to the front!” The CDU-politician firmly believes that this is possible: “If we’re smart, there are no losers!”
Climate protection is against site policy
By 2030, environmentalists are calling for Germany needs to get out of the brown coal, which at the Moment is still around 22 percent of the energy production. But it is an extremely climate-damaging acts. The last one of the reasons that Germany is unable to comply with its ambitious climate goals. In the Commission, this meeting of opposites hard on each other: climate protection and Green politicians on the one hand, representatives of the energy industry and of the affected Federal States of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt on the other side.
In the transmitter Phönix Brandenburg makes SPD-head of government Dietmar Woidke in the morning again to be clear: The parting of the coal is long since decided, but will not be supported: “We were in the Lusatian area, in Saxony and Brandenburg, at the beginning of the nineties, yet 90,000 people, today it is 7000. The phasing-out process runs for many years. On the other hand, it is, however, that today the coal in Germany is that we have a safe and reliable supply of electricity.” Security of supply and jobs – with these arguments the Eastern countries, the heads fight each year, the brown coal still remains.
A tough one to Negotiate – so far without result
The environmentalists see the nature differently. Martin Kaiser, a climate expert from Greenpeace, a member of the Committee, he said on Friday: “We are willing to tax subsidies for people in the regions to support and to give you a perspective. But what we will not support tax subsidies in the billions, without that there is on the other side dedicated to climate protection.” These opposites have shaped the work of the Commission from the beginning, you would have to quit their job for a long time.
Street instead of school: young people demonstrate for the coal exit
Once even had to intervene German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), when it became clear that an agreement will be difficult. The panel also comes this Friday to any decision, she wants to do, apparently, in the next week again. Merkel’s Motivation: The topic should be cleared before the important state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg in the autumn of that high-pitched voice are expected to share the right-populist “Alternative for Germany” (AfD), which is directed against an early coal.
Students for climate protection
Completely disagree with several thousand students demonstrating on Friday in Berlin for climate protection and for the truancy. And also the Federal citizens have to actually exit to have a clear view to the coal. Interviewed in the latest “ZDF-Politbarometer”, hold 73 percent of the respondents on a quick phase-out of coal is important or very important.