Millions of consumers in Germany face enormous additional costs due to rising energy prices. Do we need new relief? There is disagreement about the right way.
With a view to rising energy and consumer prices, the deputy parliamentary group leader of the Greens, Andreas Audretsch, is pleading for further relief for citizens – before the end of this year. People would then have to be financially relieved if that was necessary, Audretsch told the German Press Agency. “That means in the fall, not next year.”
In his view, the federal government should focus on people with low and medium incomes. “It’s time to get the relief compass clear,” said Audretsch. That also means relieving consumers at the same time when the planned gas surcharge is to take effect from autumn, the Greens politician demanded. According to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the surcharge can lead to an increase in gas prices of two cents per kilowatt hour from autumn. Even without them, people have to be prepared for significantly higher gas bills.
Traffic light does not agree
There is disagreement in the coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP about the right way to deal with this. Green parliamentary group deputy Audretsch criticized the abolition of cold progression brought into play by the FDP and the proposal for a higher commuter allowance as “wrong and absurd at this time”. These are measures that would primarily benefit top earners, he said.
In addition, the Green politician campaigned for the introduction of an excess profit tax in order to make oil companies financially responsible. The special tax is currently being discussed because energy companies in particular are currently benefiting from the high prices caused by the Ukraine war. “Those who benefit from the crisis will have to give something up in order to secure social peace. If mineral oil companies, as they are currently doing, are making billions in profits, then there must be an excess profit tax,” Audretsch demanded. Everything else is “not communicable from a justice perspective”.
Habeck open to special tax
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is also open to such a tax. From the point of view of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the special tax is currently not an issue, said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner on Monday. Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) rejects them decisively. Green parliamentary group vice-president Audretsch therefore considers a change of course by the finance minister to be urgently needed: “Looking ahead to the winter, it’s time for Mr. Lindner to find the compass again,” he said.
Audretsch’s colleague in the Bundestag, Katharina Beck, brings a levy similar to the solidarity surcharge into play in the debate. “From a technical point of view, the most suitable would probably be a supplementary tax on corporate income tax. We are currently looking at that conceptually,” said the spokeswoman for financial policy for the Greens in the Bundestag, the “Welt”. You also look at other countries – “in some aspects we can orientate ourselves on the Italian model,” said Beck. However, it must be adapted to German tax law.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
