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From Bundesjustizministerin: Hubig will Mietern Einbau von Klimaanlagen erleichtern, tagesschau.de, 19 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
"Classical legal policy" could also make a contribution to heat protection, she told the Rheinische Post.
Word for word: Also the "classical law-policy" could a contribution to the heat-protection perform, said she the Rhenish Post.
A news report: speaking to the newspaper Rheinische Post, she (a politician) said that even conventional legal policy could help protect people from heat.
The main clause is reported speech introduced by 'sagte sie der Rheinischen Post' at the end, with verb-second order in the fronted clause. 'könne' is subjunctive one (Konjunktiv I), the standard mood for indirect speech in journalism. The dative 'der Rheinischen Post' marks the person addressed by sagen.
Rules at work(7)
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könne
Indirect speech in journalistic reporting uses Konjunktiv I; könne is the third-person singular subjunctive one of können.
Reported speech in journalism and formal writing. It is built from the infinitive stem, and where its form would be identical to the ordinary present, Konjunktiv II is used instead to keep the reporting visible.
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Auch die "klassische Rechtspolitik" könne
The adverb Auch fronts the clause, so the finite verb könne stays in second position.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
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der Rheinischen Post
sagen takes the person addressed in the dative.
The dative marks the indirect object, usually the person something is given, said or shown to. A number of common verbs take a dative object where English would use a direct one, and several prepositions always take it.
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einen Beitrag
Beitrag is the direct object of leisten and appears in the accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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zum Hitzeschutz
zu always governs the dative; zum is the contraction of zu dem.
Aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative. Several of them contract with the article: von dem becomes vom, zu der becomes zur.
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könne ... leisten
The modal können is conjugated and the lexical verb leisten stands as an infinitive at the end of the clause.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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Rechtspolitik
The noun is a compound of Recht and Politik.
German builds long nouns by joining shorter ones. The last part carries the gender and the plural, and everything before it modifies what follows, so a compound is read from the right.
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Words(14)
- auch
also, too
adverbA1modal
Focus particle; here it means the ministers are included among others already named.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- klassisch
classic, typical
adjectiveB2klassischer, am klassischsten
- die Rechtspolitik
legal policy, policy on law and justice
nounC1pl. Rechtspolitikengen. Rechtspolitikstrong declension
- können
can, be able to, may, might (as könnte)
verbA1können, konnte, hat gekonntmit habenmodal
könnte is the Konjunktiv II and softens a claim into a possibility.
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- der Beitrag
contribution
nounB1pl. Beiträgegen. Beitragesmixed declension
Fixed expression: einen Beitrag zu etwas leisten.
- zu
to, at, too
prepositionA1governs dative
With verbs of movement it takes dative even though motion is involved.
- der Hitzeschutz
heat protection
nounB2pl. Hitzeschutzegen. Hitzeschutzesstrong declension
- leisten
to afford, to achieve, to perform
verbB1leisten, leistete, geleistetmit habenweakgoverns accusative
Almost always with 'sich': 'sich etwas leisten' = to afford something.
- sagen
to say, to tell
verbA1sagen, sagte, hat gesagtmit habenweak
- sie
she, they, it (referring to feminine nouns)
pronounA1personal
Here accusative singular feminine, referring back to 'die Publikumsveranstaltung'.
- rheinisch
Rhenish, of the Rhineland
adjectiveB2rheinischer, am rheinischsten
- die Post
post, mail, newspaper (in names)
nounA2pl. Postengen. Poststrong declension