Voices on the gas levy: “On shaky feet”

SPD leader Saskia Esken expects the end of the gas surcharge this week. FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr defends adherence to the debt brake.

“I am firmly convinced that we will come to the end of the gas surcharge this week,” says Saskia Esken Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

BERLIN taz/dpa/afp | After Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) died Gas allocation in question other politicians comment. Actually, the mechanism should be introduced on October 1st. Private households and companies should pay them to support energy companies that are now having to buy more expensively in other markets because of the Russian gas outage. However, the federal government is still examining whether the levy after the Uniper nationalization is constitutionally permissible at all.

Greens Chairman Nouripour: Gas surcharge must go

The Greens’ federal chairman, Omid Nouripour, assumes that the controversial gas surcharge will initially come into force on October 1, but will not last. “I have to admit that I even assume that on 01.10. comes into force,” said Nouripour on Monday at RTL/ntv. Asked when exactly the gas levy could be tilted, Nouripour said: “As soon as possible.” Talks would have to be held in the federal government, the situation was dynamic. “The fact that she has to go now is something that is right. Everyone sees it that way.” Looking at the Federal Minister of Economics from his party, Nouripour added: “I can assure you that Robert Habeck is doing everything to ensure that the levy falls as quickly as possible.” The party leader described a gas price cap as “very necessary”. . However, all conceivable successor models to the gas surcharge cost money, which Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) must provide. (dpa)

Esken expects “end of gas surcharge” this week

In view of the increasing doubts in the coalition, SPD party leader Saskia Esken expects the controversial gas levy to end this week. “I am firmly convinced that we will come to the end of the gas levy this week,” Esken said on Sunday evening in the ARD “Report from Berlin”. She also spoke out in favor of nationalizing the energy suppliers. Esken’s co-leader Lars Klingbeil also saw the gas levy as “politically on shaky ground” and expected that its fate would be decided next week. (afp)

Mützenich: gas levy “not the method of choice”

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich assumes that the gas levy will not come. One can “certainly” assume that the gas surcharge “is not the method of choice,” said Mützenich on Monday in the ARD morning show. He pointed out that the surcharge is to take effect on October 1st, but will not be due until October 31st. There will be enough discussion material here in the next few days.

Mützenich referred to instruments such as a supplementary budget or “other means”. When asked about another special fund, Mützenich said: “For example, these are possibilities. We showed that when equipping the Bundeswehr.” (dpa)

FDP faction leader Dürr defends adherence to the debt brake

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr has defended his party’s adherence to the debt brake. “The debt brake is an inflation brake and therefore the best instrument for mitigating price increases,” he said Rheinische Post. “A suspension of the debt brake combined with new government spending programs, as some are currently calling for, would further fuel inflation.”

Instead, you have to get to the roots of the problems, said Dürr. “The prices are so high because there is not enough energy. A price brake on the electricity and gas market, combined with an expansion of the energy supply, is the right answer,” he explained. “A gas price brake must therefore come in combination with an extension of the lifetime of the nuclear power plants.” Actually, all German nuclear power plants should go offline by the end of the year. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) plans to keep two power plants operational until mid-April in the event of energy shortages – but that’s not enough for the FDP. (dpa)

SMEs are pushing for the gas levy to be abolished

Because of the energy crisis, the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW) is pushing for the gas surcharge to be dispensed with. “We have repeatedly listed the various shortcomings of the introduction of a gas levy, particularly from the point of view of medium-sized companies,” said Markus Jerger, Managing Director of the association Handelsblatt. He welcomed the fact that Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) questioned the levy.

“Finally, the federal government now seems to be coming to terms with the fact that such an instrument does more harm than good,” Jerger told the newspaper. Reason must now quickly find its way into the political discussion. “The price of gas must fall and not be artificially inflated.” Jerger added, with a view to the planned nationalization of the large gas importer Uniper, why consumers should pay for a company that will soon be nationalized.

Businesses and households in the country needed affordable gas. Many medium-sized companies and households are already up to their necks in water. “More and more industries are therefore resigned and disappointed by the lack of orientation on the part of many politicians,” said Jerger Handelsblatt.

The BVMW federal manager was open to a further suspension of the debt brake. “The German economy must survive this unprecedented endurance test of the energy price crisis and emerge stronger from it,” he said. “If this requires a further year of tightly limited easing of the debt brake, we will support it.” However, additional borrowing must be conditional on public and private investment being supported. (afp)