breaking news
The state electricity and gas price brakes will expire on December 31st – three months earlier than planned. Minister Lindner announced this. He did not comment on the reduction in network fees.
As a result of the Federal Constitutional Court’s budget ruling, the federal government will not extend the billions in state aid through the electricity and gas price caps until the end of March 2024 as planned. They would be “ended at the end of the year,” said Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) to Deutschlandfunk in an interview.
Lindner left it open whether the reduction in network fees would also be eliminated next year. This must be clarified in the budget process for 2024.
The federal government introduced electricity and gas price brakes last year. This was intended to cushion the sharp rise in energy prices as a result of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine. Financing was provided via the Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF), which is worth up to 200 billion euros.
Lindner sees an “ambitious roadmap” for the traffic light coalition
The Karlsruhe judges had declared such special funds inadmissible alongside the regular budget. The WSF is no longer available, said Lindner. “The Economic and Stabilization Fund will be closed on December 31st of this year. There will be no more payments from it.” The reduction in network fees should actually be financed through the WSF. The federal government had budgeted 5.5 billion euros for this.
Lindner left it open whether the 2024 budget can be decided this year. The finance minister spoke of a very “ambitious roadmap” with a lot to look forward to for the coalition. For example, interest expenses that have so far been paid by the WSF would have to be paid from the federal budget in the future. In this context, Linder spoke of a double-digit billion euro amount.
At the same time, the Economics Minister made it clear that aid for Ukraine would double from four to eight billion euros. “Support for Ukraine is not in question,” he said.