Munich residents with high incomes could get nothing from the city’s help against the high energy costs. The SPD has decided in the party executive committee to only support the energy saving bonus proposed by the Greens if it is limited to citizens who are financially worthy of support. “We don’t want to reward villa owners who have completely different options than tenants,” said SPD city chief Christian Köning. His party will only decide on the bonus if it is not designed as a “cornucopia for everyone” but in a socially just way. The advance of the Greens is not so far.
They had suggested that the city should add another 20 cents to every euro of electricity saved. Anyone could have presented their current and previous bills in the coming year and had the bonus paid out. The Green/Pink List faction estimated around 25 million euros per year for this. On the one hand, households should be relieved of the high costs, on the other hand, they should also be encouraged to save energy. A few days earlier, the SPD had proposed an energy-saving fund of the same amount, from which Munich residents in need could also be given short-term support.
The Greens were open to capping the premium above a certain income. “We are in good talks with the SPD parliamentary group,” said chairman Dominik Krause. “I am confident that we will find a compromise,” said his SPD colleague Anne Hübner. However, the city party of the Greens was annoyed by the advance of the Munich SPD, which followed a motion by the Jusos with its decision. Again and again the SPD tries to block the climate and heating transition with reference to social justice. “That’s indecent,” said Keilhauer. “Climate protection is a thoroughly social issue.”
The Greens are getting the impression that words and deeds of the SPD are falling apart when it comes to the climate and heating transition, said Keilhauer. For example, the Social Democrats talked about “an emission-free city”, but pushed through a new, expensive car tunnel in the north of Munich. These are “diametrical” opposites. But Keilhauer also explained that his own parliamentary group had a free hand to negotiate a compromise on the energy-saving premium.