“Several billions could be saved on fossil fuels or air travel”

WORLD: Ms. Dröge, the Greens have been holding their parliamentary group retreat in Weimar for ten years. What do you associate with this city?

Katharina Dröge: It was a very conscious decision to go to Weimar. We want to send a signal in East Germany. We grew out of two movements 30 years ago; from Bündnis 90 and the Greens. Many aspects of German history come together in and around Weimar, both the highlights and the darkest sides. We take our time for that.

WORLD: The SPD already existed in the Weimar period. Although the CDU was not founded until 1946, it had its first chairman in Konrad Adenauer, who was involved in politics in the Weimar Republic. The Greens are 43 years old, a Federal Republican growth. What role does political tradition play for you?

Dröge: Our history is shorter, that's true. But we're celebrating two milestone anniversaries this year. We entered the Bundestag for the first time 40 years ago, I already mentioned the merger with Bündnis 90 30 years ago. We're going to celebrate properly.

We have changed a lot in this republic. We have set out to change the party system. Of course it changed us too. But when I look back at the Bundestag in 1983: that was predominantly a male parliament. That all changed with the arrival of the Greens. Back then, we thoroughly ventilated the fug of the Bonn Republic.

WORLD: What's left of that time? Their positions have changed significantly since then, not least last year with the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Dröge: For us, ecology, democracy, civil rights and self-determination have always been at the center of our political activities. These goals still apply to us. In 1983 the Greens wanted to challenge the establishment. Even today we ask ourselves what could be done differently and better.

WORLD: Let's get to what you want to discuss in your exam. Where is the focus?

Dröge: Above all, we want to talk about structural change in East Germany. About saying goodbye to coal, which worries many people there. We take that very seriously. We address these fears and seek dialogue. At the same time, many experts assume that coal-fired power generation will no longer be worthwhile before 2030 for economic reasons. That's why we want planning security. The earlier we actively shape the structural change, the better the prospects.

I am convinced that the eastern federal states have great locational advantages, especially when it comes to green technologies. We want to convey this courage and optimism in Weimar.

WORLD: Will you prepare your group for the fact that you won't be able to spend so much money in the future?

Dröge: The parliamentary group has been dealing with this for weeks. In the past year, we passed many tax cuts that will lead to structural revenue shortfalls in the years to come. To compensate for this, we want to eliminate environmentally harmful subsidies. We will solve that in the coalition. We want to adopt a solid budget. That is part of how we see ourselves.

WORLD: The traffic light government is currently haggling. The picture that emerges looks like this: Social Democrats and Greens have many ideas on what money can be spent on, and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) then reliably says that he cannot pay for all of it. Is that the permanent division of labor in the coalition?

In the coalition, a dispute over the financing of the planned basic child security is picking up speed. The Greens called on the FDP not to stand in the way of more budget funds. In the course of preparing the 2024 budget, Economics Minister Habeck and Finance Minister Lindner clashed.

Source: WORLD

Dröge: That is a deceptive impression. The FDP also has ideas on how to spend money. Compensating for the cold progression was really expensive at more than ten billion euros. The three coalition partners view the budget from different perspectives. Part of a coalition is that everyone finds each other again. We need to talk about that.

The tax estimate is still pending. Our housekeepers say it could turn out better than expected. I hope that we can reach an agreement on this as soon as possible. A hanging game is no good for anyone.

WORLD: Where do you want to save?

Dröge: With the reduction of environmentally harmful subsidies, one could create financial leeway, especially in the transport sector. That would make sense both in terms of climate policy and with a view to the budget. We could reform the company car privilege. At the moment it is designed in such a way that people with expensive luxury cars are particularly relieved.

But there are also opportunities in the area of ​​fossil fuels or air travel. Several billion euros could be saved there. And the ecological and social reform of the commuter allowance agreed in the coalition committee would also be an idea. So far, those who earn a lot have benefited more from it. That's wrong.

WORLD: What is essential for you?

Dröge: Investments in climate protection. They are also economically necessary. We are in tough competition with the US for investment. It's about Germany's competitiveness, which has to be worth something to us. The second is combating child poverty. For us, basic child security is a central project of the coalition. And the third is humanitarian aid in the face of many international crises. It has to be financially secure.

WORLD: The basic child security is non-negotiable for you?

Dröge: No, that is a clear project in the coalition agreement. If you look at the fact that every fifth child in this country is at risk of poverty, it is a question of social cohesion. Especially children with single mothers are affected. It is our duty to make life a little easier for them, especially since inflation is making things even more difficult. That has to be included in such a large federal budget.

WORLD: Let's get to another topic. Has CSU boss Markus Söder thanked you yet?

Dröge: So far he has not called. I don't know if he has my cell phone number either.

WORLD: With the new electoral law decided against the votes of the Union and the left, you have delivered a steep template for the CSU state election campaign in Bavaria. Why wasn't it possible to reach a consensual decision with the opposition?

Dröge: I would have been happy if it had been possible to decide that together with the democratic opposition. We negotiated intensively with the CDU and the left. But we're not the first to fail to come up with a major joint solution. Norbert Lammert and Wolfgang Schäuble tried to do that as CDU Bundestag Presidents and failed because of the CSU.

WORLD: Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) had asked in the Bundestag debate on Friday to postpone the decision for two weeks. Wouldn't these 14 days have been worth it to avoid the current wedged situation?

Dröge: Our invitation to talks with the Union still stands.

WORLD: Why should you still talk now? The decision has been made.

Dröge: We can talk about creating a legal solution so that the CDU and CSU can run together in the federal elections - and still remain two parties. The question seems to be very relevant for the CSU in Bavaria. The electoral law would have to be changed for that. We will not refuse to talk about it.

"Kick-off Politics" is WELT's daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.