BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that he’s confident talks between Germany’s three governing parties will end with “very good results,” dismissing critics who accuse the government of becoming paralyzed by disputes over spending plans and ecological reforms.

Senior members of Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats and two smaller parties, the environmentalist Greens and pro-business Free Democrats, have held three days of on-and-off talks at the Chancellery in Berlin trying to iron out their differences on a broad range of issues.

Scholz declined to identify the crunch points, but insisted progress was being made.

“We have long resolved the main question that needed solving,” he told reporters in Berlin. “Now it’s about many details.”

The 64-year-old said the overarching goal was to fulfill the government’s 2021 pledge to accelerate Germany’s transformation toward a greener, more digital economy. He noted that the previous government under former Chancellor Angela Merkel had also held all-night meetings to reach “good results.”

“And here there will even be very, very, very good results,” said Scholz.

Among the issues that have divided the coalition in recent weeks is a proposal to introduce strict new rules that would effectively ban the installation of conventional oil and gas heaters starting next year. The Green party argues that fossil fuel furnaces need to be phased out as soon as possible because they contribute to climate change and cement Germany’s dependence on foreign energy imports.

The Free Democrats and Scholz’s Social Democrats worry such a change would anger voters because installing heat pumps requires a much bigger initial investment, though the operating costs are lower.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a member of the Greens, framed the issue as one of vital importance, telling a renewable energy conference in Berlin that “every heating in every basement in our country is part of our future security structure.”

Almost half of the existing home heating systems in Germany use natural gas, much of which came from Russia until supplies were cut following the Russian assault on Ukraine.

Debate has already raged within the government about how to accelerate infrastructure projects and cut emissions in Germany’s transportation sector. The Free Democrats angered their Green coalition partners this month by demanding a last-minute loophole in an EU ban on combustion engine vehicles.

Alexander Dobrindt of the opposition Christian Social Union mocked the government’s disunity, telling reporters: “It’s quite possible that this government continues to exist, but it’s not able to govern.”

Scholz suggested the heated debate would be worthwhile, given the issues at stake.

“It’s about the biggest modernization of our economy that lies ahead of us, about the possibilities for growth that we have (and) the many additional jobs that could be created,” he said.

“We’re working hard to make that boom possible,” he added.

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