Energy: bosses have to go: traffic light government advises on relief

Before a potentially decisive round of traffic lights to relieve consumers of energy costs, the Greens are insisting on a greater reduction in energy consumption.

“One thing is clear: anyone who no longer wants to give money to Putin must now also focus on energy efficiency,” Green Party leader Ricarda Lang told the Rheinische Post. Above all, consumer advocates called for targeted support for people with low incomes.

Negotiations on planned relief

The governing parties wanted to negotiate at the top level on Wednesday evening (9 p.m.) about planned relief for citizens. The coalition committee of the SPD, Greens and FDP should meet for this purpose, as the German Press Agency learned from coalition circles.

“I am confident that we can agree on a package of measures that will take effect quickly,” said SPD leader Saskia Esken of the “Rheinische Post”, adding: “Measures that will primarily benefit people with low and middle incomes in the current energy price crisis relieve, massively and quickly reduce our dependence on Russian supplies of fossil fuels and at the same time maintain the economic performance of the companies.»

In the newspaper, Green leader Lang called for a reduction in energy consumption, relief in everyday life and a targeted cushioning of social burdens. The state must help people who really need it – “from single parents who depend on basic security to craftsmen who live in the country”.

Concern about high energy costs is growing

According to a survey for the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), more and more citizens are worried about rising energy prices. Three out of four respondents fear that this will put a financial burden on them in the future. At the end of January, i.e. before the Russian war in Ukraine, this value was still 62 percent.

The consumer advocates called on the federal government to specifically support people with low incomes in particular. “No one should freeze because of the high energy prices or sit in the dark and have to worry about not being able to pay for the grocery shopping for the family,” said association leader Jutta Gurkmann. Mobility must also remain affordable for everyone.

According to vzbv, the Ministry of Economics assumes additional costs for heating with gas of 2000 euros per year for an average household. With electricity, there are currently a good 100 euros in additional costs per year. Motorists would have to spend around 700 to 850 euros more than in the previous year.

Most recently, a working group made up of party representatives negotiated relief, but did not reach a final agreement. That’s why it’s now the party leaders’ turn. The coalition committee is the top body for voting between the governing parties. The party and parliamentary group leaders as well as important ministers and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) are represented there.

Several proposals on the table

Several proposals are on the table: FDP leader and finance minister Christian Linder wants a fuel subsidy, but this has met with resistance from the coalition partners. SPD and Greens also want to make mobility cheaper, but at the same time relieve people with low incomes more. The Greens are also pushing for measures to save energy.

A possible import stop for gas, oil and coal from Russia remains controversial. According to the Ministry of Economics, Russian imports account for 55 percent of fossil gas imports. For coal it is 50 percent and for crude oil 35 percent.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) sees no way in the short term to forego energy supplies from Russia. Germany wants to end its dependency in the long term, he said in the general debate on the Chancellor’s budget. “But to do that from one day to the next would mean plunging our country and the whole of Europe into a recession,” he warned. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs would be at risk. Entire branches of industry are on the brink.”