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EXCLUSIVE Significantly higher prices for electricity and gas at the turn of the year. As of January 1st, basic suppliers nationwide will increase their tariffs in 300 cases. According to figures from the comparison portal Verivox, electricity will be 61 percent more expensive on average, and gas 54 percent more expensive. According to Verivox, the gas costs for a family with a single-family house and a consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) increase by an average of 1247 euros per year. For electricity, the price for a three-person household with a consumption of 4000 kWh increases by an average of 784 euros. Questions and answers on inflation and the electricity price brake. To the article (SZ Plus)
More money for four million workers in the metal industry. In the largest German industry, employees will soon earn significantly more money in a difficult inflationary period. Employers and unions agree on a 5.2 percent increase in wages from June 2023 and a further 3.3 percent from May 2024. According to IG Metall, skilled workers at car manufacturers, mechanical engineering and other companies will receive a tax-free one-off payment for a period of around two years 7000 euros more. Go to Article
Pelosi relinquishes leadership of US House of Representatives. After losing the majority in the midterm elections, a generational change is looming among the Democrats. It is still unclear who will replace the 82-year-old at the head of the group. Republican McCarthy will succeed her as speaker of the House of Representatives if he gets enough votes in the vote early next year. He comments maliciously on the democrat’s departure: “We fired Nancy Pelosi.” To the article (SZ Plus)
EXCLUSIVE Suppliers warned early on of problems at MV shipyards. The state government in Schwerin is selling the million-dollar bankruptcy of the MV shipyards as a result of the pandemic. However, internal emails and documents show that bills were not paid beforehand and politicians knew about it. To the article (SZ Plus)
Prototype for “Future Combat Air System” is apparently about to be developed. It is Europe’s largest armaments project: Germany, France and Spain want to develop a high-tech system that will put their air forces on a par with the most modern in the world. It should work in a network with drones, rockets and cruise missiles and include electronic warfare and artificial intelligence. After long initial difficulties, according to SZ information, development work on a prototype will soon begin. Go to Article
Orbán can hope for money from Brussels. Actually, Hungary’s authoritarian head of government should only get billions in European funding if he can show progress in the fight against corruption. The EU Commission has now certified it. MEPs are pissed off, one of them is already threatening Commission President von der Leyen with a vote of no confidence from Parliament. To the article (SZ Plus)
“Every euro we invest in space returns four euros”. Esa boss Aschbacher wants to make European space travel more independent. A conversation about critical infrastructure in space, Europeans on the moon and the relevance of satellites in times of war. Go to Article