Heidi Reichinnek, the chairwoman of the Left party’s parliamentary group, has called the proposed amendments to the Building Modernisation Act a “double thump of stupidity”. In a statement reported by the “Rheinische Post” on Thursday, she warned that recent developments last week and the looming price shocks following the attacks on Iran further illustrate how wrong it is to keep the country and its people tied to the fossil‑fuel industry.
Reichinnek also argued that the new law will impose “massive additional burdens” primarily on tenants. “They have no say over which heating system is installed and will be left alone with the inevitably massive rise in gas prices” she said, describing the situation as a “protective vacuum”.
She criticised the SPD’s conduct as “particularly absurd” pointing out that the party is negotiating a law with the governing coalition while only shortly after the key points are announced does it claim to want to protect tenants from these very issues. Reichinnek denounced the move as a cynical political maneuver.
The debate has also seen several Social Democrats calling for strong tenant protection provisions in the revamped legislation. While the SPD and the Union have said they will shield tenants who cannot decide on their heating from “excessive overhead costs caused by installing inefficient heating systems” the specific details of such protections remain to be clarified.