Germany's Likely Next Chancellor Puts Economy Before Climate Policies
Conservative Friedrich Merz vows to prioritize industrial competitiveness over ambitious green energy goals, challenging Germany’s climate policies.
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has pledged to shift focus away from aggressive climate policies and prioritize restoring the country’s industrial competitiveness.
Speaking in Bochum on Monday, Merz criticized the policies of the outgoing coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which heavily focused on climate protection.
The coalition, including Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens, had committed to phasing out coal by 2030, ahead of the official EU deadline, alongside an ambitious transition to renewable energy.
Merz, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has expressed concerns over the decommissioning of coal and nuclear plants without viable replacements.
He emphasized the risks of such policies to Germany’s industrial base and vowed to reconsider the pace of the energy transition.
“Decommissioning what we have is out of the question unless we have reliable alternatives,” Merz stated.
As the CDU and their allies lead in the polls ahead of the February 23 elections, Merz faces the challenge of forming a coalition with the SPD or the Greens, given the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is also gaining support.
Despite this, he ruled out any cooperation with the AfD.
Merz also questioned the feasibility of hydrogen-powered steel production, a key part of Germany’s green steel ambitions, and criticized the government's €2 billion investment in hydrogen-based technology for steelworks.
Instead, he suggested focusing on carbon capture technologies as a way to reduce emissions from industrial production.
The response from the Greens and SPD was swift.
Green Party candidate Robert Habeck countered Merz’s claims, arguing that steel produced with coal-fired power has no future in the global market.
SPD leaders warned that rolling back climate policies would undermine crucial investments and jobs in green industries.
With climate change policy at the heart of Germany’s political debate, Merz's stance marks a significant divergence from the outgoing government’s green agenda.
As the elections approach, the clash between economic priorities and climate ambitions will continue to shape the country’s future leadership.
Speaking in Bochum on Monday, Merz criticized the policies of the outgoing coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which heavily focused on climate protection.
The coalition, including Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens, had committed to phasing out coal by 2030, ahead of the official EU deadline, alongside an ambitious transition to renewable energy.
Merz, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has expressed concerns over the decommissioning of coal and nuclear plants without viable replacements.
He emphasized the risks of such policies to Germany’s industrial base and vowed to reconsider the pace of the energy transition.
“Decommissioning what we have is out of the question unless we have reliable alternatives,” Merz stated.
As the CDU and their allies lead in the polls ahead of the February 23 elections, Merz faces the challenge of forming a coalition with the SPD or the Greens, given the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is also gaining support.
Despite this, he ruled out any cooperation with the AfD.
Merz also questioned the feasibility of hydrogen-powered steel production, a key part of Germany’s green steel ambitions, and criticized the government's €2 billion investment in hydrogen-based technology for steelworks.
Instead, he suggested focusing on carbon capture technologies as a way to reduce emissions from industrial production.
The response from the Greens and SPD was swift.
Green Party candidate Robert Habeck countered Merz’s claims, arguing that steel produced with coal-fired power has no future in the global market.
SPD leaders warned that rolling back climate policies would undermine crucial investments and jobs in green industries.
With climate change policy at the heart of Germany’s political debate, Merz's stance marks a significant divergence from the outgoing government’s green agenda.
As the elections approach, the clash between economic priorities and climate ambitions will continue to shape the country’s future leadership.