Climate policy: coalition negotiators shift responsibility to special commission - commentary

The parties negotiating a new grand coalition government in Berlin seem to prefer to delegate important climate policy decisions – such as finding a date for a coal exit – to a future commission, rather than taking on the responsibility themselves, writes Daniela Setton, energy expert at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), in a blog post. Setton draws this conclusion from the energy policy blueprint that Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU block and the Social Democrats (SPD) agreed to ahead of the current official negotiations. “On questions of pivotal importance to Germany’s future, the leaders of both parties are muddling through and doing their level best to avoid making decisions that might put them in the political firing line,” writes Setton. Her post was first published by the energy and climate newsletter Tagesspiegel Background.

Find the blog post in English here.

For background on the coalition talks, read the article German party leaders agree energy policy blueprint for coalition talks and the coalition watch.