"Lament over Protective Measures": Landtag expresses sorrow over mountain preservation.
Who's playing savior and wrecking ball in the Alps? A fierce debate over Alpine protection in the Bavarian Landtag heats up.
In a fiery clash on Thursday, the Greens and SPD accused the CSU-Free Voter state government of undermining Alpine protection. Green faction leader Katharina Schulze didn't mince words, saying, "That ain't the way it's done."
The ruling factions weren't gonna back down easy. State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt (Free Voters) fired back, proclaiming, "Environmental compatibility can be achieved without bureaucratic nonsense!"
CSU and Free Voters push for a summer break vote
The day before, the Greens, SPD, various environmental groups like Bund Naturschutz, and the Alpine Club went hammer and tongs against the "Third Modernization Act" proposed by the state government (AZ reported). This legislation aims to raise the environmental compatibility test thresholds for ski lifts, slopes, and snow-making facilities. Green vice faction leader Johannes Becher made it clear that they prefer the current legal setup.
CSU and Free Voters won't back down on their modernization law push.
Despite the opposition, Gotthardt assured, "We ain't lowering a single environmental standard in the Alpine region."
Minimal adjustments won't lead to environmental doom
The raised environmental compatibility test threshold will only reach the "European standard." The planned "minor tweaks" won't signify the end of natural ecosystems nor speed up climate change, said Free Voter MP Marina Jakob.
SDP environmental politician Florian von Brunn cautioned against expanding winter tourism infrastructure in the Alpine region. "The party's over," said von Brunn, pointing to the temperature rise in the Alps. Future ski operations below 1500 meters above sea level seem unlikely. But CSU and Free Voters just can't stop dancing to the same outdated tune, according to von Brunn.
Modernization law intended to boost reliability, planning, and rule of law
Alexander Flierl (CSU), chairman of the environmental committee, lashed out at the Greens for romanticizing stagnation in rural areas.
AfD sees things differently
Only 0.21 percent of the Bavarian Alps are snow-covered. The alarmism is unfounded, said Flierl.
chairwoman of the AfD parliamentary group Katrin Ebner-Steiner offered a starkly contrasting perspective, demanding, "Save our mountains—but protect them from the Greens!" Ebner-Steiner raised concerns about nature being "speared" by wind turbines and the sprawling expansion of photovoltaic systems, allegedly constituting "real homeland protection."
- The debate over Alpine protection in the Bavarian Landtag has become heated, with the Greens and SPD accusing the CSU-Free Voter state government of undermining environmental protection.
- The ruled factions are not backing down easily, with State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt (Free Voters) stating that environmental compatibility can be achieved without bureaucratic nonsense.
- The Greens and SPD, along with various environmental groups, have spoken out against the Third Modernization Act proposed by the state government, which aims to raise environmental compatibility test thresholds for ski lifts, slopes, and snow-making facilities.
- The AfD sees things differently, with chairman of the AfD parliamentary group Katrin Ebner-Steiner demanding to protect the mountains from what she perceives as the destructive policies of the Greens, pointing to the alleged harm caused by wind turbines and the expansion of photovoltaic systems.
