The last-minute ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday night was mistimed for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tripartite coalition, denying it a chance to quickly exit a long-running dispute over a central climate policy plan that has plunged the coalition into the polls.
The government expected to pass the law on Friday, the last day before Parliament’s summer recess. But the court blocked lawmakers from considering it this week, issuing an injunction requested by a conservative opposition member who argued that not having enough time for more detailed consideration would violate his rights.
The coalition’s top lawmakers met on Thursday before announcing they will seek to vote in early September, when Parliament’s next regular session is scheduled. They rejected the idea of calling a special session during the summer vacation.
The two junior partners in the coalition government led by Scholz’s centre-left Social Democratic Party – the Greens and the Free Democrats – spent months publicly debating the law before presenting in mid-June a key compromise on plans to replace the old fossil fuel heating systems with alternatives such as heat pumps.
The compromise was cemented into a detailed law last week, angering opposition lawmakers over the coalition’s rush to pass it before the holidays.
FUENTE: Associated Press
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