The European Commission seemed to be aiming to get some momentum with their version of the New Green Deal.
Now Germany is standing in the way.
It started in France with President Emmanuel Macron. He called for a regulatory pause from the commission imposing limits on non-green energy across Europe.
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Macron makes a point. The economic verdict is still out when it comes to revolutionary environmental overhauls. “The risk we run is, basically, is being the best performers in terms of regulation and the worst performers in terms of financing,” he said.
You can be pro environment but also fiscally prudent. Research and conversion takes time. There is a dramatic rush, both in the US and in Europe, to outfit cars and electricity producers in an environmentally friendly way within a decade. If successful, it could yield catastrophic economic results.
And now, an ever-growing obstacle is emerging. Ursula von der Leyen is the president of the all powerful European Commission. They have the ability to legally require nations under their aegis to comply with their environmental regulations.
Leyen hails from Germany, and was a key member of former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet. Certainly not a hard-right figure.
But her party, The German Christian Democrats, is Germany’s representative to the minority party within the European Commission. That minority party, The European People’s Party, said they are likely to openly oppose the commission’s rush to implement their own Green New Deal.
Why does that matter? Because Leyen is German, and she’s the figurehead of the German Christian Democrats. Since one of their own holds the presidency of the entire commission, that party would be able to squash their parent party’s efforts to slow down Green New Deal efforts in Europe.
You’ve gotta’ read between lines, but Leyen had to have given her party her blessing to support pausing the commission’s planned environmental overhaul.
Which means that, since she’s a representative of Germany, the German government is most likely behind her efforts.
Once Germany’s point person on European Commission (and their president to boot) has a position, it’s supposed to be based in harmony with the desires of the rest of the German government.
This means, subtly, the German government is opposed to the Green New Deal being instituted in Europe.
This is not a huge story unless you understand the inner workings of continental and national governments. But once you do, the writing is on the wall.
The plan by the commission so far is to eliminate all net carbon emissions by 2050. That would require billions in dramatic infrastructural overhaul.
Germany and France are some of the most powerful nations on the commission. Europe’s dreams of beating the USA off of the environmental cliff seem to be dashed.
Let’s just hope President Biden gets the memo.
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