The announced departure of State Secretary for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen has triggered a debate in the coalition about the timetable for the controversial Building Energy Act (GEG). The FDP is in favour of stretching the timetable for the project, also known as the Heating Act, on the grounds that parliament has lost the contact person for the issue. The SPD and the Greens see no connection between the two facts.

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) had announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of his state secretary Graichen, after he had not sufficiently separated private and professional life in two understandable cases. Graichen played a central role in the energy transition. Habeck is aiming to pass the law before the parliamentary summer recess, which begins on July 7.

"Adoption before the summer break out of the question"

"I think a farewell before the summer break is out of the question," said FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai of the "Bild" newspaper. "It is not decisive when the GEG is adopted. It is crucial that it becomes a good law that does not overwhelm anyone and enables many technologies," Djir-Sarai emphasized.

He announced a list of questions from his parliamentary group to Habeck: "The FDP parliamentary group still has around 100 questions for Robert Habeck. As long as they are not answered, the consultations on the law cannot begin at all," said the FDP Secretary General.

According to the draft adopted by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 onwards, 65 percent of every newly installed heating system should be powered by renewable energies. This should apply to all owners under the age of 80. Existing oil and gas heating systems can continue to be operated, broken heating systems may be repaired. The law is intended to herald the farewell to gas and oil heating systems.

The SPD and the Greens are resisting the FDP's demand to postpone the timetable. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert said in the ZDF "heute journal" with regard to the departure of Graichen: "Both facts have nothing to do with each other." There is no climate neutrality in Germany without addressing the type of heating. This necessity has not changed.

Green Party leader Katharina Dröge sees it the same way. If the FDP announces a delay, it is because it wants to postpone something, said Dröge on Wednesday evening in the ARD program "Maischberger". Many employees of two ministries were involved in the law. In addition, parliaments could write and edit laws themselves.

"The Heating Replacement Act must go back to the workshop"

Left Party parliamentary group leader Amira Mohamed Ali also sees Minister Habeck "severely damaged" by Graichen's mistakes. "Depending on what is now brought to light, his stay in office must also be put up for discussion," she told the "Rheinische Post" (Thursday). "The investigation must continue."

The Union also sees a need for clarification. The Economic Committee of the Bundestag wants to deal with further open questions about the policy of the Ministry of Economics next Wednesday. This emerges from the agenda, which is available to the German Press Agency. "Now we have to clean up the mess. The Heating Replacement Act must be returned to the workshop. The attempt to whip the half-baked Habeck draft through the Bundestag before the summer recess must be stopped," said CSU finance politician Sebastian Brehm.

The committee is to decide in the morning whether it will be discussed at noon in a joint meeting with the Committee on Climate Protection and Energy and in public session. Both had been requested by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. According to the agenda, the topic will be "further reappraisal of the staffing of the Chairman of the DENA Management Board as well as current reporting on possible compliance violations and the personnel policy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action".

The Economic Committee also expects a report from the ministry on media reports on "possible conflicts of interest at the management level of the BMWK in industrial policy, foreign economic policy, digital and innovation policy, and in particular in start-up funding".

State Secretary Udo Philipp is responsible for these areas. According to a report by Business Insider, Philipp has invested private money in several startups, which raises questions among the opposition given his position in the ministry.

The ministry stated that Philipp had declared his financial circumstances in accordance with the rules of conduct when he took office, that his shares were managed by third parties and that he had no influence on individual transactions. Before taking office, he had supported small companies as a "business angel". He has not been active there since taking office as State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance of Schleswig-Holstein in March 2019.

"Due to the illiquidity of the company's shares, a sale of the shares is not possible," the ministry explained. As a precautionary measure, however, it is stipulated that Philipp does not make any decisions from which these companies could benefit financially. According to the ministry, the promotion of business start-ups and financial aid in the growth phase are the responsibility of the department of State Secretary Sven Giegold (Greens).