The new German government holds its first cabinet meeting to clarify the mandate of the G7 presidency

On January 21, local time, Germany's new federal government held its first closed cabinet meeting, focusing on Germany's task as the rotating chairmanship of the Group of Seven, as well as combating bureaucracy and optimizing the planning process. The federal government wants to accelerate housing construction, the energy transition, and the expansion of transportation and digital infrastructure.

Habeck, Scholz and Lindner attend a press conference (from left to right, image source: Eustachia)

German Chancellor Scholz, Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Climate Harbek and Finance Minister Lindner attended a joint press conference after the meeting.

Scholz said the government wanted to "get the state to act" and that the slow planning and approval process "must be paced up." Addressing climate change is one of Germany's key tasks as the G7 presidency, he said, "and we want to make sure that each country is not going it alone, but together they are forming an international climate club." He reiterated Europe's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the mid-21st century, stressing that "stopping anthropogenic climate change is one of the key issues that need to be addressed urgently." ”

Finance Minister Lindner argues that Germany has the individual will to develop, patented technology and capital, but these elements have been restricted in the past, "which binds our country and ourselves." According to him, in the closed-door meeting on the same day, various ministries and commissions put forward suggestions to improve efficiency and simplify procedures. They will be evaluated by the Federal Government, producing results within the first half of the year and incorporating them into the legislative plan.

According to Economy and Climate Minister Hubbeck, when it comes to energy transition, it is necessary to "cut a few old braids" and the infrastructure for wind and hydrogen needs to be developed. In his view, as the rotating presidency, Germany will also have a profound impact on the G7, and the issue of sustainable development is a "truly cross-cutting issue" that requires the organization of deeper cooperation in the global market.

Speaking about the tense situation in Ukraine, Scholz said that russia will pay a "high price" if there is a military conflict, but all parties are currently doing everything possible to avoid an escalation. He also confirmed once again that Germany would not supply weapons to Ukraine.

In the fight against the outbreak, Scholz still supports a vote in the Bundestag on mandatory vaccination obligations. He said closed-door cabinet meetings helped reach a "broad consensus." Seven bundestags from the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany have submitted their first specific initiative on the 21st, calling for the establishment of mandatory vaccination obligations for adults over the age of 18, in order to provide more protection for the new wave of infections that may come in autumn and winter. The relevant draft is also being drafted. (Reporter Ruan Jiawen)