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Actually, the matter seemed clear: nine months after the Berlin Senate, at the behest of Transport and Environment Senator Regine Günther (Greens), declared a climate emergency, concrete measures would be taken on Tuesday.
A diesel ban in the city center from 2030 was also on the agenda, as was the requirement for solar power on rooftops. Other measures such as the introduction of a toll in the city or an increase in parking fees were on the agenda, all to protect the capital’s climate.
Literally at the last second, during the current session of the Berlin Senate on Tuesday morning, the ruling mayor Michael Müller (SPD) vetoed. This was reported by several participants in the meeting that was still ongoing at the time.
After a good hour of discussion, it was finally decided to postpone the package. The Senate wants to deal with him again in four weeks. Until then, talks should take place at the secretary of state level and with parliamentary groups in the House of Representatives.
The state executive of the SPD had already addressed the issue in the afternoon
In the aftermath of the meeting, the fact that the SPD, and especially its outgoing regional head Müller, had announced this step internally the night before, sparked massive resentment in some cases. The information from Tagesspiegel was the attitude of the governor in the meeting of the state executive of his party subject briefly. At Monday’s secretary of state conference there was no sign of a postponement of the package, it was said Tuesday. Consequently, the coalition partners were shocked, Günther and several senior representatives of the Greens were even outraged.
The head of state, Nina Stahr, said via Twitter: “The mayor of the government has just postponed the measures on the climate emergency in the Senate, that is devastating! The fight against the climate catastrophe must not be postponed any longer, we need measures NOW. We would have the desired SPD support and no slowdown. ” And furthermore: “First they asked for concrete measures, then we agreed with them and now suddenly they no longer dare. Courage, comrades, fight with us to save the planet!”
Günther himself also declared via Twitter: I am very sorry that our Climate package it was postponed today in the Senate. Red-Red-Green had worked on it for months and came to a good consensus. We will deal constructively with the issues that have now come up as a surprise. “Werner Graf had already explained the second part of the Greens-Landesspitze to me in view of the Senate decision:” Incredible! We should use the last year to save the climate. Climate protection can no longer be postponed! “
For the coalition, which has been tense again since the dispute over waivers from the veil ban last week, the move marks another test of resistance. The Greens accused Müller and the SPD of backing down shortly before the decision and of not having identified disagreements beforehand. In view of the declaration of a climate emergency, which was postponed in December 2019, the accusation of “symbolism” made at that time was said to now lead at the latest. Günther complies, blocked the SPD, was the perception that was expressed behind the scenes in the ranks of the Greens. A member of the Senate said: “For the SPD, climate protection is something that can be postponed.” Müller lacks “ability to control” and to “properly set up processes and do rounds of clarification before he hits the big stage.” The SPD was also said to have forgotten to criticize the package for “weeks.” “The fact that the SPD is now upholding a widely coordinated and agreed bill is not a good style.”
Criticism of the SPD especially to the concept of “Zone of Zero Emissions”
Regarding the content of Günther’s proposal, the Social Democrats cautiously criticized the concept of the “Zero Emissions Zone”, that is, the gradual banishment of combustion engines from the city center, as well as the planned toll for the city. It was said that all Berliners should be able to afford to drive their car into the city center. Tino Schopf, transport policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, said in the afternoon: “We do not want to prevent Berlin’s climate protection, we want to improve it: especially in the transport sector! Whoever demands a toll from the The city must first create alternative offers. These cannot just be bike lanes. “
Furthermore, Finance Senator Matthias Kollatz (SPD) stated after the Senate meeting that the SPD had once again put into play the proposal for a 365 euro ticket on local public transport. That, in turn, is rejected by the Greens, also with reference to the current budget situation and the burdens of the crown pandemic.
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The CDU parliamentary group in the House of Representatives also criticized Günther’s plans, in accepting the package that was approved. “Bans and new mandatory charges are still a long way from creating better climate protection,” said transportation policy spokesman Oliver Friederici. He called the green senator’s plans “half-hearted and antisocial” and said after that, “only drivers who have enough money will be allowed into the city.”
Overlooking Günther’s planned city toll for drivers who want to drive into the city center, Frederici said: “Berlin needs more S-Bahn and U-Bahn, there are no mandatory tickets for all Berliners. The Senate wants hide the fact that it does. BVG has not received sufficient funds for years and has broken its 2019 tariff promise. This is simply unfortunate. “
