In view of the tough debate over the heating law, CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja has sharply criticized the leadership style of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). "Where is Olaf Scholz, who allows this dispute all the time," Czaja asked on Wednesday on ZDF. People are highly insecure and are migrating to the political fringes. "This government does not act on such important issues where people need answers right now," Czaja said.

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert had defended the chancellor the day before. "Good, modern leadership is not about being the loudest Maxe," he said on Tuesday morning on ZDF. Ending a debate with a word of power is always only the second-best solution. "It is always better if a way is found together in the parliamentary process," said Kühnert.

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is currently trying to save the heating law. On Tuesday evening, he had met with specialist politicians of the traffic light coalition to discuss open questions of the FDP on the legislative plans. After the meeting, Kühnert was confident. "We are now really approaching the home stretch," he said in the program "RTL direkt". After the talks, he had "the clear impression that everyone wants the compromise and that we should conclude it before the parliamentary summer recess."

Kühnert appealed to the Liberals to clear the way for deliberations in the Bundestag. The FDP should "now give the green light that we can make the first consultation in the next week of the session – that is in two weeks". Then a decision could be made before the summer break.

Green Party leader Katharina Dröge also expressed confidence. Dröge said on Wednesday on Deutschlandfunk that the meeting between Habeck and the specialist politicians had shown that compromises were possible. She is optimistic that she will now quickly "get into a consultation mode". Citizens rightly expected clarity on the heating issue. Results from the meeting on Tuesday evening, however, were not initially known.

Habeck had pointed out possible compromise lines to the bill on Friday. In its current version, the draft stipulates that, as a rule, new heating systems may only be installed from 2024 if they can be operated with at least 65 percent renewable energies. The minister has now proposed that this should possibly be limited to new buildings for the time being and that existing buildings should only be put into effect at a later date. He also expressed his willingness to make the regulations more flexible.