Coalition agreement of the new government: Positive accents, but a fundamental approach to reform from a sustainability perspective is missing
©SIP/ Claude Piscitelli Photo de famille du gouvernement
The new government’s coalition agreement includes a range of instruments in the various areas of sustainable development. These are positive. However, there are fundamental questions about the government’s basic orientation and prioritization as well as the concrete implementation in practice.
According to the Mouvement Ecologique, this results in the following analysis (the explanations of the different ” headlines” can be found in the pdf):
- Commitment to important existing strategic plans
- Quite a diverse catalogue of specific instruments
- Urgent structural reforms – which are also essential from a scientific perspective – are not included
- Relevant aspects in conflict with sustainable development
- The vague wording leaves the orientation of numerous instruments open
Conclusion:
In this respect, the Mouvement Ecologique has a mixed assessment of the analysis of the coalition agreement:
In addition to a whole series of important and positive instruments that are absolutely to be welcomed, there is a very strong focus on a voluntaristic approach, on consensus-orientated instruments and, as a priority, on an incentive policy.
The fundamental orientation of a number of important reforms and measures in this context is often inadequately explained (which may seem understandable in the context of a coalition agreement). Ultimately, it is not clear whether the CSV-DP government has effectively recognised the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis.
The fact is that, in the view of the Mouvement Ecologique, these crises cannot be solved with a “pragmatic” approach alone. Rather, rapid and structural reforms are required. The time available to implement the necessary course corrections to the current model is ultimately very short.
There is therefore no way around setting a more fundamental course for a sustainable transition! The coalition agreement does not necessarily rule these out a priori, but unfortunately does not address them with the necessary consistency.
The introduction of the “proportionality” of decisions is also likely to give rise to numerous discussions. It is inevitable that there will be different views on when climate and biodiversity protection should or should not be prioritised.
The efficiency and sustainability of the coalition agreement and the new government will be measured by whether climate neutrality is effectively achieved with the necessary speed, biodiversity loss is halted and biodiversity is restored in a comprehensible manner.
The Mouvement Ecologique will judge the government by its subsequent actions.
21.11.2023