The leader of the Green party, Felix Banaszak, sharply criticized the draft building modernization law, which originated from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and was associated with Katherina Reiche (CDU). He issued a warning about rising costs associated with the legislation. According to Banaszak, the law was presented by Reiche-with support from the SPD-and was “completely unconcerned with the reality we are living in”.
He argued that citizens are acutely feeling that fossil fuels are rapidly becoming a “cost trap” a reality evident at gas stations and expected to be felt in future gas bills. Speaking to RTL and ntv on Thursday, Banaszak addressed the current push for energy changes, stating, “And Katherina Reiche now says that freedom in the heating cellar means: install new gas and oil heating systems. This will be outrageously expensive for people”.
The Green leader further criticized the policy for prioritizing “ideology over common sense”. Instead of the proposed direction, he argued that the opposite approach was necessary. He noted that across Europe, governments are actively trying to accelerate the shift to electrified heating, such as through the faster installation of heat pumps. “Here, the role is reversing” he contended. Ultimately, he warned that this course of action is not only an assault on climate protection, but also on Germany’s security in the international context, and crucially, on people’s finances.
