Storm damage: 30 billion euros for reconstruction?

After the flood disaster, the federal and state governments want to launch an aid fund that will be decided on Tuesday. According to reports, a specific sum is now emerging.

According to reports, the federal and state governments could provide around 30 billion euros for the reconstruction of the areas affected by the flood in July. The heads of the state chancelleries and representatives of the federal government agreed on this at a switching conference, writes “Spiegel”. The conference was supposed to prepare for the meeting of the Prime Ministers with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday.

The dpa news agency also reports, citing government circles, that the planned aid fund could amount to 30 billion euros. From country circles it was said, however, that the sum had not yet been tied down. There was still a lack of calculation bases.

According to the editorial network Germany (RND), the Federal Ministry of Finance also estimates the cost of the reconstruction at the sum of 30 billion euros. That is reported from coalition circles.

Cost sharing between the federal and state governments

According to reports, the federal and state governments each want to split the follow-up costs of the storms in half. The RND writes, referring to a draft resolution for the conference, that the federal government has assured the states that “after assessing the total damage, it will also contribute half financially to the necessary reconstruction”.

The draft does not contain exact sums. It is planned, however, that it will take two decades before the costs for the construction aid are paid off. In addition, according to the report, the financial aid should flow quickly and unbureaucratically.

The “Spiegel” writes that the funds should flow into a national fund “Development Aid 2021”. This is a special fund that the federal government will manage. It is planned for several years.

Laschet: More than 13 billion euros in damage in North Rhine-Westphalia

The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet had previously said that the planned aid fund would have a volume of 20 to 30 billion euros. In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, according to initial estimates, the damage amounted to more than 13 billion euros. In Rhineland-Palatinate, “a similar, if not a higher sum” will probably be paid again.

Before the conference of the prime ministers with the Federal Chancellor, all countries had signaled their willingness to raise this amount, said Laschet. “That is why we are grateful for this nationwide solidarity.” Now a speedy parliamentary procedure with special sessions of the Bundestag and Bundesrat is necessary. “I think that the Bundestag can still meet in August.”