One thing has already leaked out from the meeting of the state premiers with Chancellor Scholz: According to information from the ARD Capital Studios The group did not agree on compulsory insurance for natural hazards.
Even before the talks between the federal and state governments have ended, according to information from the ARD Capital Studios that the group did not agree on compulsory insurance for natural hazards. The “Spiegel” and the German Press Agency had previously reported on this.
Insurance is currently often not possible
In the afternoon, the states had called on the federal government to create a legal regulation to introduce a nationwide compulsory insurance for natural hazards, which should also include storm surge damage.
According to their ideas, the companies should be required to offer a contract to every homeowner who wants to insure themselves against natural hazards. To date, homeowners for buildings in areas at high risk of flooding have often not been able to find insurance that is willing to cover the high risk.
However, there is also criticism of the proposal: the obligation to offer does not really help anyone, said Lower Saxony’s head of government Stephan Weil before the talks. “It is only the insurance industry’s duty to increase its advertising measures,” said the SPD politician.
Resistance at Federal Government and insurers
The federal states have been calling for such compulsory insurance for homeowners for some time. However, both German insurers and Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann reject this.
To date, on average only 54 percent of them nationwide have natural hazard insurance, which not only covers against flooding, but also against other natural hazards such as avalanches, landslides or snow pressure.
There are particularly few insured buildings in Bremen (33 percent) as well as Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (35 percent). In Baden-Württemberg, however, 94 percent are insured against natural disasters.