Bundestag will not yet implement some laws as planned.” sizes=”(max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 800px” data-portal-copyright=”picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder” srcset=”https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-scaled.jpg?ver=1731236216 2560w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-600×400.jpg?ver=1731236216 600w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-800×533.jpg?ver=1731236216 800w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-768×512.jpg?ver=1731236216 768w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-1536×1023.jpg?ver=1731236216 1536w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-2048×1364.jpg?ver=1731236216 2048w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-1024×682.jpg?ver=1731236216 1024w, https://cdn.businessinsider.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/491907491-400×266.jpg?ver=1731236216 400w”/>
The traffic light coalition is on the verge of collapse. This could mean that the Bundestag will not yet implement some laws as planned. picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder
- The traffic light coalition in Germany is on the verge of collapse – as a result, important legislative proposals could fail, as “Handelsblatt” and “Spiegel” reported, among others.
- Some of the projects affected are citizens’ benefit, pension package, collective bargaining law and asylum law reform.
- The FDP no longer feels bound by agreements, and the Union (CDU/CSU) will not support any proposals from the SPD and the Greens.
The traffic light coalition in Germany is on the verge of collapse, and there will hardly be a majority for legislative proposals in the Bundestag. The FDP no longer feels bound by agreements, and the Union (CDU/CSU) will not support any proposals from the SPD and the Greens. Markus Söder (CSU) said clearly that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would not find a majority in parliament for “wrong” decisions. Therefore, many planned laws could fail, as below „Spiegel“ and “Handelsblatt” reported. Here is an overview of the most important projects.
Citizen’s money
Under pressure from the FDP, the traffic light government wanted to introduce stricter rules for citizens’ money. There should be less protected assets, stricter job search requirements and harsher penalties for rule violations. At the same time, more incentives were planned so that people could find work more quickly, and they also wanted to put more pressure on foreign refugees so that they could find a job more quickly.
Labor Minister Heil hoped to save five billion euros next year. However, the Federal Audit Office doubts that this will work. Since the SPD was reluctant to accept these changes, it will probably no longer insist on them. The Union and FDP, on the other hand, want to go much further and completely redesign citizens’ money
Pension package
Olaf Scholz will bring the pension package, which provides for a stabilization of the pension level at 48 percent and a new capital-based pillar, to a vote in the Bundestag. But there probably won’t be a majority because the Union and FDP reject the proposal in this form.
If the package fails, contributors will be spared additional costs of 500 billion euros over the next 20 years. However, rents would then rise less than wages. It is also uncertain whether the planned improvements to company and private pension provision will still be implemented. The next government would then have to develop a new pension policy that is more responsive to the aging society.
Tariftreuegesetz
Labor Minister Heil (SPD) wanted the state to only commission companies that offer their employees fair wages and good conditions. The unions are demanding this because fewer and fewer people are using collective bargaining agreements. However, the Union and FDP find the idea too bureaucratic and are against it. In any case, it is unclear whether the law would have really brought about more collective agreements. Therefore, the consequences if the law fails would not be very great.
Data retention
Justice Minister Buschmann (FDP) introduced the “quick freeze procedure”. A judge must only allow certain data to be secured if there is suspicion of a crime. This plan is now being stopped, which pleases the other coalition partners. Interior Minister Faeser (SPD) wanted stricter rules in which IP addresses are always stored. The Greens also recently supported this proposal. Without a new regulation, the investigators have nothing more to say
Asylum law reform
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will quickly have the Bundestag vote on new asylum rules in Europe. The FDP and the Union support this. But now CDU leader Friedrich Merz is demanding that Scholz first ask the vote of confidence. Otherwise Merz will not agree.
Security package
After the knife attack in Solingen, the authorities are to be given more powers. The goal is to make it easier for the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police to access data, evaluate it and carry out biometric comparisons. However, the Union considers these measures to be insufficient. The Bundestag and the government could now involve the mediation committee. But after the coalition collapsed, it is unclear whether that will still happen.
Carbon dioxide storage
The Bundestag Committee for Climate Protection discussed the new draft law for CO2 storage on Wednesday. This law is intended to make it possible to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground. For some industries, such as the cement and lime industry, which can hardly save CO2, this technology is seen as the only way to achieve climate goals.
However, after the collapse of the coalition, the law is unlikely to come. The SPD and the Greens have little interest in pushing it further, and there are also internal critics. The FDP finds the draft too strong, and the Union clearly demands, among other things
Power Plant Safety Act
The Power Plant Safety Act is intended to promote the construction of gas power plants. These gas power plants are intended to step in when renewable energies do not provide enough electricity. Preparations for the law are already well advanced. It was planned that the first tenders would start at the beginning of next year.
Advancement Bafög
It could harm further training if the reform of the advancement student loan does not come about. From January 2025, people who are training to become master craftsmen or industrialists, technicians, business economists or educators should receive more financial support. This funding is important to get more people into jobs that are urgently needed.
The number of recipients has risen sharply in recent years, most recently around 180,000 per year. The support is available to everyone who is preparing for a recognized training examination, whether full-time or part-time and regardless of age.
Pharmacy reform
There has been less talk about pharmacy reform in recent times, but the FDP has repeatedly expressed concerns – especially whether pharmacies without trained pharmacists are a good solution for the future. The plan calls for pharmaceutical technical assistants (PTA) to take on more tasks that pharmacists were previously responsible for.
The FDP is against this change because it considers the personal advice and knowledge of pharmacists to be very important. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he wanted to create something completely new with the reform. He said the coalition partners at the time needed time to examine the proposals. So far there is only a first draft, so it will probably take some time before the law is passed.
