Updated on 08/23/2022 07:29
Energy prices are rising rapidly, many citizens have to pay cash and do the math every month. Politicians are trying to take countermeasures, but the relief measures are being criticized. “How are we supposed to do that?” Plasberg asked his guests in the studio on Monday. Not only during the speech duel did you notice how tense the situation in the country is.
Allocations up, taxes down: the newly created gas allocation is a done deal. For a family of four, that adds up to more than 500 euros in energy costs per year. Two other levies have an impact: the gas storage levy and the standard load profile balancing levy mean around 100 euros more. At the same time, the federal government announced that it would reduce VAT on gas – a saving of around 400 euros.
That’s the theme of “Hart but fair”
The price of gas is at a record high, and fear of hefty heating bills is spreading in more and more households. “Cost trap energy: How are we supposed to do that?” asked Frank Plasberg his guests on Monday evening. It was about the gas surcharge and other announced relief measures, the reduction in VAT and vulnerable groups such as low-income earners, pensioners and families.
These are the guests
Christian Durr (FDP): The group leader said: “For months we have been doing everything to ensure that the price increases remain within reasonable bounds.” More relief is on the way. Regarding the criticism of the Heckmeck between new allocations and tax cuts, he admitted: “I am aware that this is super difficult to understand. We are in an exceptional situation.” Doing nothing is not an option, you have to react quickly.
Amira Mohamed Ali (Left): “Life must be affordable for everyone. The government likes to forget that,” said the left-wing politician. Germany need more direct aid and an energy price cap. The group leader said: “The situation is quite serious. We don’t know if we’ll get through the winter without there being gaps in supply.”
Udo Sieverding: The energy expert of the consumer center NRW warned: “Prices will continue to rise.” In such a dramatic situation, the government cannot afford to mess around with the relief we have just experienced. Consumers wanted alternatives such as photovoltaics and heat pumps, but the answer was: “not available”.
Renate Roennau: The pensioner complained: “The seniors hardly come up with the relief”. She herself has to start saving now, shop even more specifically and consider whether she could still go to the theater or have coffee. She reported on her voluntary work on the seniors’ hotline: “A 92-year-old told me that she had existential fears. These are the seniors who helped build Germany after the war”. Her conclusion towards the end of the program: “In the end, the normal citizen always pays the bill!”
Michael Huether: “We are facing a loss of prosperity,” said the economist and director of the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. The overall picture of such a crisis has not yet existed. “Inflation rates are now at historic levels,” said Hüther. Targeted relief is needed. “We have to relieve, but also save energy,” he said. If gas were to become scarce, up to three million more people would become unemployed.
This is the moment of the evening at “Hart aber fair”
There are certainly several possible moments for the evening. One of them: Sieverding’s omissions on the relief packages. “I still think the first relief package is okay, but the second relief package four weeks later was like: Oops, the prices are still going up,” he said. At that time, based on the wholesale prices, it was already foreseeable that a one- to two-year wave of price increases would come.
He criticized the government’s measures as a patchwork quilt: “One got the fuel discount, the other the increase in the commuter allowance and then there was the nine-euro ticket,” says Sieverding. These were all measures that certainly made sense in and of themselves. “But I have so many friends who say: What should I do with the 300 euros, I don’t need it at all. Give it to those who need it!” There are millions of households that do not know how they will pay their energy bills in the coming months. “And we need a solution,” he said. The response of the audience: long applause.
This is the speech duel of the evening
Hüther had just demanded: “The price effect itself must work. The adjustments can only take place where people use gas.” “Insane,” commented Mohamed Ali, and went on: “It sounds as if the problem is that households use too much gas and that the price has to be increased now to create incentives to save.” That was wrong. The gas surcharge is only levied to secure the profits of the energy companies. “All citizens will be relieved to ensure that the energy companies, some of which make billions in excess profits, can continue to make these excess profits undisturbed.”
Dürr shook his head vehemently. But the answer came from Hüther: Everyone has to save according to their possibilities and you need a targeted relief. “People can no longer save,” commented Mohamed Ali.
This is how Frank Plasberg did
Plasberg did a solid job, but his moderation performance was not outstanding either. He managed a good mix of “small” and “big” questions. He wanted to know from pensioner Rönnau where she saves and from energy expert Sieverding what he advises consumers to do. But his questions also included: “Can the crisis be avoided with a few energy-saving tips?” and “How do you balance alarmism?”
This is the result of “Hard but fair”
On Monday evening, a number of points of contention became apparent: “To what extent does solidarity reach and who has to shoulder the bulk of the price increases?”, “Which ways to save energy are the most sensible?” and “What to do to cushion the loss of prosperity?”. However, the role of the traffic light government was neglected in this context.
At least there was an interesting insight into the relationship status when FDP man Dürr the tip of the Green politician Winfried Kretschmann to wash with a washcloth instead of taking a shower, commented: “What Mr. Kretschmann said triggers strange images in my head and, secondly, I find it frankly condescending.” He could save himself such hints. “An interesting coalition,” was Plasberg’s only comment. He could have played the ball further.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) justified the upcoming gas surcharge for consumers with the security of supply in Germany. At the same time, it makes the country more independent of Russia, said Habeck in Berlin.
teaser image: © WDR/Dirk Borm