“Bird-safe construction” – and a brief insight into the minister’s inner life

Housing benefit, socialization, construction turbo, building type E – Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz will have expected most of the topics that she would confront members of the Bundestag with in the government survey on Wednesday.

The Left and the AfD in particular grilled the SPD politician with their questions. No wonder: There is a shortage of 1.4 million apartments in Germany, the number of new buildings is expected to remain below 200,000 units in 2027 and 2028, and building permits are increasing, but at a very low level.

To the many issues she has to deal with, one more thing was added around 2:40 p.m. The Green MP Zoé Mayer asked: “Minister, what are you planning for bird-safe construction? It would be very easy to coat window panes with bird-safe material, can you say something about that?”

Hubertz had to quickly add a verbal brake to the construction turbo: “Speed ​​does not mean that we put species, nature conservation and climate protection aside.” She thanked him for the suggestion: “I’d be happy to take that with me” – which the phrasebook “Business German – German” from “Computerwoche” translates as “already forgotten”. But who knows: Maybe building type V will actually come next.

Hubertz then gave a brief insight into her inner life when she was asked by Leftist Sarah Mirow about the planned cuts in housing benefit. “I think it was noticed that the issue of housing benefit is very close to me personally because it affects people who work hard, have worked hard, pensioners, single parents,” she said. She therefore expressly supports the fact that this was once again discussed in depth and controversially. “Now we wait for parliamentary decisions on this.” In the evening, it actually emerged from the negotiations about the reform package that housing benefit should be retained in its current form.

A question from AfD MP Marc Bernhard made it clear how much the coalition negotiations for a red-green-red government in the capital left the entire SPD in need of explanation. “Do you personally support your party’s expropriation plans in Berlin,” he asked, after once again quoting Left Party leader Ines Schwerdtner’s admission that expropriations would in no way lead to falling rents.

Hubertz initially answered evasively: "I personally, as Minister of Construction, said that I think that with the money that is invested in a change of ownership in the land register, new apartments or even entire districts could be built much better." She then moved on to the Investment Protection Act, which, among other things, requires proof of the absolute necessity for socialization. “I support this approach.”

Bernhard's repeated inquiries elicited a clearer confession from Hubertz: "You know, Steffen Krach has full power of attorney to negotiate in Berlin, he doesn't need any advice from federal politics, and the comrades in Berlin are already weighing everything up very sensibly with each other." That sounded a little different than party leader Lars Klingbeil, who said last week: "We can't criticize Saxony-Anhalt if we then let things get away with in Berlin."