Green party co-leader Franziska Brantner is on a confrontational course with the Union. “We see in the East how difficult it is to find democratic majorities” she told the Funke Media Group newspapers. “It’s astonishing that Mr. Söder says you can’t govern with the Greens.” Apparently, Söder doesn’t think a stable federal government is important.
Brantner sharply criticized the Union’s plans to repeal the heating law after a government change. CDU and CSU want “to trap citizens in a cost trap” she said. “That’s exactly what it means if CDU/CSU only focus on a rising CO2 price. The Union would make heating with gas and oil more expensive and at the same time cut financial help for switching to a climate-neutral heating system.”
Brantner holds the Union accountable for a lack of self-criticism: Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) made a mistake when he didn’t present the social gradient immediately with the heating law. This was addressed and corrected by Habeck. Looking at the state of Deutsche Bahn, Brantner added, former CSU Transportation Ministers Peter Ramsauer, Alexander Dobrindt, or Andreas Scheuer should also admit to their mistakes.
The Green party co-leader also accused the Union of not having a financing plan for the investments announced in the election program. “Unlike the Union, we have a financing concept for the catch-up program: the Germany Fund” she said. “That will only work if we reform the debt brake.”
As parliamentary state secretary in the Economics Ministry, Brantner rejected the Union’s demand that people in Germany should work more in the face of the economic crisis. “Before we talk about longer working hours, we should invest more in childcare. Or make it financially attractive for the elderly to work beyond the statutory retirement age. And it should be easier for migrants to start a job” she said. “It’s absurd that well-educated people are being held back from using their skills.”
At the same time, Brantner advised against the Union’s plans to make overtime tax-free. “Such a rule can lead to people reducing their regular working hours, paying fewer social security contributions, and making up the rest as overtime. That won’t help anyone” she said. “I would like to hear from the Union how they plan to prevent abuse.”
Brantner explicitly warned against a repeat of the grand coalition: “I don’t want a costly stalemate coalition that has led us into this mess because necessary renewals haven’t been implemented. A re-run of black-red can’t be afforded by Germany.