STORY: This much is clear: the controversial gas levy that the government had actually planned is no longer coming. Representatives of all three parties in the traffic light coalition made this clear at the weekend. Actually, it should take effect from October 1st, be levied on all consumers and support ailing gas importers. This was to prevent a breakdown in supply. The surcharge could have cost a four-person household around 500 euros – in addition to the regular price increases under the contracts. A new solution is now being worked on, said SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert on Monday: “It is important that the federal government has shown that it is able to recognize a mistake and then correct it as such in the end. That is happening right now. And it’s important that in the end there isn’t an additional financial burden that goes beyond what is already unbearably high for many people.” The government is striving for a comprehensive solution in view of the high prices, said a spokesman. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, two goals are being pursued: Citizens and companies should be relieved of gas prices. In addition, the security of supply must be guaranteed. The end of the gas levy was also welcomed at the Böse in Frankfurt. Robert Halver from Baader Bank: “The state must now bite the bullet and say, even if it’s not a market economy, we’ll put an electricity price cap anyway, a gas price cap. Because one thing has to be clear when the medium-sized economy no longer works, leaves the country or goes bankrupt, then we have much bigger problems than having an even larger national debt now. We must now ensure that our industrial base is preserved.” Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck had already expressed legal doubts about the levy if the largest importer Uniper was nationalized at the end of the year as planned. Finance Minister Christian Lindner had surprisingly now also asked the question of economic sense in view of the already high prices and instead called for a gas price brake. It is still unclear how this will be financed.