Status: 08.10.2022 10:55 a.m
Before the consultations of the expert commission, there are increasing calls for the planned relief for citizens and companies. NRW Prime Minister Wüst wants planning security, the trade union ver.di warns of an “air number”.
The “Gas and Heat Commission” is meeting this weekend to present a concrete proposal for the implementation of a gas price brake. For some, this is not happening fast enough: North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst called on the federal government to clarify energy prices “immediately”. “It must finally be clear how and when the energy price brake and the other relief will work,” Wüst told the editorial network Germany (RND). This planning security must be established in the next week at the latest. every day counts
“If the traffic light government continues to let so much time pass, it will negligently increase the uncertainty among the population,” said Wüst. He called for a “clear signal” that the relief as a result of the Russian war of aggression could also apply retrospectively if necessary. “People’s misery must not increase just because the federal government is delaying decisions.” During consultations between the federal and state governments on Tuesday about relief for citizens and companies, there was no agreement on many financing issues.
“Gas price brake must be effective”
The Prime Minister of the Saarland, Anke Rehlinger, called for the uncomplicated relief for consumers and companies in need of existence. “The gas price brake must be effective, as simple and understandable as possible and, above all, quickly relieve those who are on the brink – whether consumers or companies,” she told the newspapers of the Funke media group. What is important is the signal “that progress is being made and that prices are effectively being curbed”.
Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch spoke out against one-off payments and called for a price cap. This should permanently lower the gas prices for basic consumption to around the level of the previous year, he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. Debates about one-off payments are the wrong way “because they are not a solution, especially for companies and parts of industry”. The chair of the expert commission, Veronika Grimm, had previously brought one-off payments into play in order to receive savings incentives.
ver.di boss warns of “air number”
The chairman of the trade union ver.di, Frank Werneke, warned the federal government and the expert commission against setting the planned subsidies for gas and electricity prices too low. “It is now important to ensure that the gas price brake – and by the way also the electricity price brake – does not become an air act,” he told the Rheinische Post. “To think that tenants – or residents of houses with old buildings – could regularly save more than 20 percent of their energy consumption this winter is adventurous.”
Werneke, who is himself a member of the expert commission, called for a price guarantee for “households with average or rather low incomes”. This should be based on the electricity, gas and district heating prices for 2021. “80 percent of the consumption of previous years should be covered by this energy price brake for normal households,” said Werneke.
Hospital society is sounding the alarm
The President of Diakonie Germany, Ulrich Lilie, warned of an imminent collapse of the social infrastructure. The aid and care facilities and advice centers run by welfare organizations are usually non-profit institutions that are unlikely to form any reserves for legal reasons, Lilie told the RND. The facilities now do not know how to pay for the increased electricity and gas prices.
The facilities have their backs to the wall and “can’t wait months for an energy price cap,” said the Diakonie President. “Should social institutions have to close, the weakest in society will suffer, and they need all the support right now.”
The German Hospital Society again warned of the consequences of the dramatic increase in energy prices. “Corona autumn wave and extremely rising costs, especially for energy, mean previously unknown economic risks for hospital care,” said CEO Gerald Gass of the “Rheinische Post”.
“We now need inflation compensation immediately, because the majority of hospitals can no longer pay the increased costs from income and reserves,” said Gass. “If politicians don’t act decisively here soon, we will experience a winter of hospital insolvencies during the Corona winter.”
Paus wants to secure social institutions
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus advocated opening up the planned multi-billion dollar defense shield for social institutions as well. One has the effects of the energy crisis on institutions and carriers in mind, said the Green politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Because charitable institutions such as the food banks, advice centers or protective facilities are essential for the cohesion of our society.”
If they can no longer shoulder the exploding energy costs, it will hit the weakest – “children, young people, old people, low-income families,” said Paus. “That’s why we have to expand the economic defense shield so wide that the social infrastructure finds protection under it as well as the associations and initiatives of civil society.”
“We leave no one alone”
SPD leader Saskia Esken was optimistic that Germany will get through the winter well with the planned energy price brakes. Esken told the RND that they are powerful means of bringing prices down to a reasonable level for consumers. “At the same time, they represent massive market interventions. Time is of the essence, but we must not risk quick fixes.”
Esken said Germany is a strong country. “Through joint efforts we will get through the winter well. We will not leave anyone alone in this difficult situation.” This applies to consumers and social institutions such as companies of all sizes.
A commission of experts set up by the federal government is to present a proposal for the planned gas price brake. The commission consists of 21 experts from science, business, trade unions and environmental and social organizations. Chancellor Olaf Scholz “expects the proposal for Monday,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner.
The gas price brake is an essential part of the €200 billion “defense shield” announced last week by the traffic light government in the energy crisis. Here, a “basic consumption” of gas is to be subsidized by the state.