Coal commission delay reveals multiple failures in work of the task force - commentary
The coal commission delay shows that the government is taking the work of the commission seriously because 鈥渙therwise this spectacular intervention would have been unnecessary,鈥� writes Andreas Mihm in a commentary in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. But the move reveals multiple failures elsewhere: Not enough communication between commission and government; too little help from the responsible ministers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 astounding that it didn鈥檛 occur to anyone during months of negotiations to discuss the foreseeable financial consequences with the finance minister,鈥� according to Mihm, adding the delay could mainly serve to establish the necessary and neglected financing, especially with a view to upcoming elections in coal states. 鈥淭his is why the decision by the heads of the governing coalition to put the commission in detention can also be interpreted as a lesson in political realism.鈥�
For background, read the articles German government plans to postpone deadline for coal commission and Commission watch 鈥� Managing Germany鈥檚 coal phase-out.