Nmeški zeleni ne samo, da niso imuni za “bolezni vladajočih” (klientelizem, korupcija, kronizem…), ko enkrat pridejo na oblast, pač pa izgleda, da so zelo dobri v tem. Poročilo iz Nemčije.

The German Greens are in several big crises right now, all directly related to Robert Habeck. First came the legislation to force homeowners to upgrade their oil and gas heating system from January onwards. From next year onwards, it will no longer be legal to instal new gas and oil heaters. And from 2030, all existing ones will have to be replaced by heat pumps. As the sale of Viessmann has demonstrated, this is not a business in which German companies can compete. The legislation, a centre-piece in the government energy transition, effectively amounts to a tax on home owners, something people did not have on the radar screen before.

The story that energises the world of political journalists is a graft scandal in Habeck’s economics ministry. His state secretary, Patrick Graichen, has been part of a committee that awarded a lucrative job to Graichen’s best man at his wedding. There were other reports of conflicts of interests. Graichen is the brain behind Habeck’s energy policies. A member of the Green party, he has been an influential figure in Green politics for many years. What we have learnt from this scandal is that the Greens are not so different from other parties once they climb the greasy pole of power.

And finally, the decision to close down the three remaining nuclear power stations has also not met with much enthusiasm amongst the population, especially now that people are starting to become aware of the costs. See also our discussion about the industrial energy price in a separate story. The latest polls are also registering a persistent decline in support. The Greens peaked at 22% last August, and are now down to 14% in the latest Insa poll. The decline of the FDP, meanwhile, seems to have bottomed out.

Vir: Eurointelligence