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Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP) (archive)
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John MacDougall/AFP
The federal government has announced a quick solution to the future of the controversial gas surcharge.
The overall solution will become visible "very quickly" in an orderly process, said a government spokesman.
He referred to the previously planned gas levy and a possible gas price brake.
A commission on such a brake met and worked very well.
In circles of the Federal Ministry of Economics it was said that an "orderly replacement" of the gas surcharge would make sense.
However, alternative financing is important in order to ensure the stabilization of the gas markets.
Majority against contribution
In the traffic light coalition, the majority of politicians are now of the opinion that the gas levy should not be raised.
Advance payments for this should be due at the end of October - and mean significant price increases for all gas customers.
Because of the lack of Russian gas deliveries, importers have to procure replacements at greatly increased prices, but have not yet been able to pass them on to customers.
This should actually be done via the levy, it's about billions.
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert now joins the group of opponents: "In our view, nobody in Germany should have to pay this levy, not even temporarily." There should be no additional burden on households.
The federal government still has a week to find another solution to stabilize gas importers.
The Green Party leader Ricarda Lang also said that the gas surcharge could be dropped as soon as Finance Minister Christian Lindner made a proposal for alternative financing.
DIW President calls for gas price caps
Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), has spoken out in favor of a gas price cap that covers a flat rate of 80 percent of a household's gas consumption.
"That would ensure that people with medium-low incomes, who generally have a smaller apartment, are relieved in a targeted, fast and sufficient manner," Fratzscher told RTL / ntv.
The gas price cap can only remain a temporary instrument, but must be set for longer than three months.
Fratzscher advocated a time horizon of one and a half years.
“It tells people that over the next two winters you can rest assured that prices will not skyrocket, but will be capped.”
rai/dpa
