Status: 09/28/2022 8:17 p.m
On Tuesday, the federal states will discuss further relief with Chancellor Scholz. At a special meeting, the country leaders agreed in advance on a common position: they want a price cap for electricity, gas and heat.
The federal states are demanding that the federal government introduce an energy price cap. At a Minister President Conference (MPK), the heads of the federal states voted to cap the prices for electricity, gas and heat, as the MPK chairman and North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst told journalists in Berlin.
federal and state governments participate
“It is important that the federal government now agrees in a timely manner,” said the CDU politician. He called for a fair burden sharing between the federal and state governments. The federal states are ready for constructive cooperation with the federal government in order to get people and the economy through the winter well.
Prime Ministers are demanding a comprehensive energy price cap from the federal government
Andre Kartschall, RBB, daily news at 8:00 p.m., September 28, 2022
The federal and state governments would have to embed the third relief package in an overall concept. The federal government must consider bearing the costs of the housing benefit reform alone, taking on more regionalization funds in transport and parts of the hospital financing. On Tuesday, the prime ministers will consult with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The countries also agree that relief must now be targeted and that there must be specific relief for lower and middle incomes as well as small and medium-sized companies.
costs of 100 billion euros
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey put the cost of an energy price cap at more than 100 billion euros. “In all likelihood, this will be in the three-digit billion range.”
The SPD politician called the unanimous agreement on the joint demand for an energy price cap a “groundbreaking decision” by the state leaders.
Financing still unclear
From Giffey’s point of view, however, how future relief for citizens in the energy crisis can be financed remains a contentious issue among the federal states. “That’s the point where we couldn’t quite agree,” she said.
In particular, the question of whether new loans can be taken out for financing beyond the limitation of the debt brake “we could not finally clarify,” said Giffey. The SPD-led countries had made a protocol statement and explicitly advocated such a possibility.
The special conference of the prime ministers was originally intended to be the prelude to subsequent federal-state talks. Because of Chancellor Scholz’s corona infection, the joint round has now been postponed to October 4th.