Germany's Supreme Court blocks Scholz's 'hurried' heat pump bill

Climate Minister Robert Habeck (left) and Chancellor Olaf Scholz wanted the bill passed before the summer holidays. Credit: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

The German Supreme Court has dealt a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's plans to phase out oil and gas boilers after it blocked a parliamentary vote on plans to replace them on the grounds that it was hasty.

Mr. Scholz's government has put forward a bill that is intended to encourage homeowners to replace fossil fuel heating systems with more climate-friendly alternatives like heat pumps.

The government hoped to get the bill through Parliament on Friday, the last day before the summer holidays.

But in its ruling on Wednesday, the Federal Constitutional Court barred parliament from considering the law in its second and third readings this week.

The court ruled in favor of an opposition MP who argued that his rights as an MP would be violated if it will be pushed through without the possibility of a more detailed review.

The dispute led to the failure of the government in the polls

An injunction ordered on Wednesday makes it impossible for Mr. Scholz's government to quickly walk away from a dispute that has seen it lose in the polls in recent months.

The two junior partners at its center are the Left Coalition, Green Environmentalists and the pro-business Free Democrats spent months arguing publicly about the law before reaching a compromise in mid-June.

The bill was finalized just last week, and key elements of the original plan were watered down, leaving opposition MPs angry at the coalition's rush to pass it before the original deadline for summer break.

Amendments that would allow for the new gas-fired boilers, if they can later be converted to hydrogen, and pushing back the phase-out date, have also drawn the ire of environmental groups, who say the changes will hinder Germany's goal of zero clean fuels.

Activists protest against unpopular government policies in front of a chancellery in Berlin. Photo: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

The new bill has been dubbed «Habeck's heat hammer» by the tabloid press, referring to Robert Habeck, the German minister of climate and economics.< /p>

Opponents fear it will hit homeowners' finances due to the high costs associated with replacing gas and oil boilers.

Legislation requires the installation of new heating systems, which can be at least 65 percent powered by renewable energy sources. It will apply to new housing estates starting next year, but otherwise provides for potentially lengthy transition periods.

The heating problem is the most serious of several that give the impression of constant squabbling and unrest in Mr. Scholz's coalition , which brings together parties that are not traditional allies.

The centre-right Christian Union and the far-right Alternative for Germany are currently leading the ruling parties in the polls.