The traffic light coalition will soon present another relief package because of the high prices for energy and food. Before that, there were numerous demands on the federal government at the weekend. The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz called for a clearer focus on low earners – and less help for households with medium or high incomes. “1,000 euros in energy money for those in the lower third would make more sense than 300 euros for everyone,” he told Focus and Focus Online.
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“I also don’t understand why big companies get financial support per se, but small ones don’t. There must be clear criteria here as to who has what entitlement.” Merz, who also heads the parliamentary group, added: “But the fact is: the state cannot help everyone.” And: “In this crisis we will see companies that not make it. And we cannot promise to balance everything out of the federal budget.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) is also in favor of restricting the relief due to higher energy prices to poorer households. “I also don’t understand why high earners like me should be relieved of energy costs,” he told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper” with a view to plans by Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) to also relieve tax on those on higher incomes: “We should concentrate on those who really need it.” Otherwise, every available euro is needed to keep the world reasonably livable.
According to a survey, half of German citizens are in favor of tax cuts as relief because of the high energy prices. This emerges from a survey by the opinion research institute Civey for the newspapers of the Funke media group. Accordingly, 51 percent of those surveyed called for further tax cuts.
34 percent wanted an extension of the nine-euro ticket, 32 percent an expansion of social benefits. When asked about the current greatest concern in view of the rising energy prices, 61 percent of the participants stated that they feared a lack of political solutions.
The union IG Metall called for a price cap for gas and electricity. The first chairman Jörg Hofmann also spoke out in favor of a second energy price lump sum. In addition to employees, you also have to help pensioners and students.
The federal government must now send noticeable social signals, Hofmann told the German Press Agency. “Without affordable energy costs, there is a risk that social cohesion will break.”
Unlike many companies, people could not pass on the massive price increases, said Hofmann. “At the same time, they have to experience how billions in taxes are supposed to subsidize energy companies, for example.”
Verdi boss Frank Werneke also called for a new energy flat rate of 500 euros for employees. A third relief package is urgently needed, Werneke told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post”. The energy flat rate should also be paid to pensioners, students and recipients of social benefits, according to the head of the service union.
The lump sum should be taxable, so that the highest net reaches the people with the lowest incomes, said Werneke.
An energy price cap should then take effect from next year, said the union boss. In the case of gas and electricity, a basic requirement should be billed at the price level of 2021 through state subsidies. As a benchmark, the union sees an annual consumption of 11,000 kilowatt hours for gas and 3,000 kWh for electricity for a family of three.
The federal government is currently working on a new relief package. The Green Party leader Ricarda Lang told the Funke newspapers that the relief package should be available “promptly”. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert recently made a similar statement.
From the perspective of the SPD, it should primarily support people and families with low and middle incomes as well as pensioners. SPD co-boss Lars Klingbeil commented on this at a campaign event in Cuxhaven, Lower Saxony.
“We have to correct a mistake: we forgot pensioners. There has to be something for them now,” said Klingbeil, referring to the first two relief packages. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also indicated that there should be new help for those who are no longer employed.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr was skeptical about possible one-off payments in the Funke newspapers.
Klingbeil also spoke out in favor of passing on crisis profits from corporations to people with low incomes. “We can redistribute random profits from large companies to people with an income of 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 euros,” said Klingbeil of the Funke media group. “It is also a question of social cohesion in our society. Everyone has to do their part so that we can get through this challenging time well.”
With a view to the introduction of a limited excess profit tax, Klingbeil said that he had met Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the FDP in the coalition negotiations as someone “who is accessible to one or the other good argument, and I’m counting on that now”.
Like Hofmann, the head of the Verdi union, Frank Werneke, also demanded payment of a new energy flat rate. This should be 500 euros and also go to pensioners as well as students and beneficiaries, Werneke told the “Rheinische Post.
The general manager of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, called for a simple and unbureaucratic procedure. “The easiest way would certainly be a temporary allowance based on income limits and the number of children,” he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
