Energy and climate community relieved over Merz’s election, calls for coalition unity
Clean Energy Wire
The election of Friedrich Merz as Germany’s new chancellor in an unprecedented second parliamentary vote was greeted with relief by the country’s energy, industry, and environmental associations. But the groups also warned that Merz’s humiliating defeat in the first round must not foreshadow disunity in the coalition government, given that decisive action was needed to further Germany’s energy transition and meet climate targets.
“The future governing coalition and German democracy have passed their first acid test,” said the head of renewable industry association BEE, Simone Peter. “The coalition must now look to the future and tackle the challenges together. The country needs stability.” Political commentators also warned that the bumpy start to Germany’s new coalition government bodes ill for the its future cohesion.
Regarding the dissenters within the coalition during the first round of voting, utility association BDEW said future unity was indispensable for a much-needed course correction in the energy transition towards cost efficiency, system integration, and cutting red tape. “The old rule ‘as it begins, so it continues’ must not become reality,” said BDEW head Kerstin Andreae.
“Germany needs a stable government that pulls together and takes action quickly,” said municipal utility association VKU. “It will now be important to set the course for our country's competitiveness and social cohesion very quickly […] The government must lead the energy transition to success.”
Brigitte Knopf, co-head of Germany’s Council of Experts on Climate Change, said there was plenty to do for the new government, given that it “must in any case present a programme of measures very quickly” to ensure climate targets are met. The new government is required by law to present a climate action programme within the first 12 months of the legislative period’s start, so by the end of March 2026. If the expert council states in an upcoming report that emission budgets until 2030 will be exceeded, the new government will have to present corrective measures by mid-August, and implement them by year-end, Knopf said.
Climate protection and development organisation Germanwatch called for a package of measures within the first 100 days of the new government to prepare for the imminent price increases for petrol, diesel and heating oil from 2027 due to the new European Emission Trading system ETS 2 – for example by boosting the electrification of transport and heating.
