Many families and companies are particularly suffering from the corona pandemic.
The grand coalition now wants to help them.
The opposition wants more.
No corona summit - but important for Angela Merkel's
GroKo
: the
coalition committee
met on Wednesday evening
.
The
coalition
agreed on aid for families and companies.
(see update from February 3, 10:45 p.m.)
After the meeting, all the
parties
represented
were
satisfied
(see update from February 4, 6.59 a.m.).
What has been
decided is not enough for the opposition
(see update from February 4, 12.24 p.m.).
Update from February 4, 12.24 p.m.:
While the
coalition
leaders were
harmonious and satisfied after the meeting on Wednesday (see update from February 4, 6.59 a.m.), the Left, FDP and Greens consider the decided support for families to be inadequate.
"Another
child bonus
and the subsidy for basic
income support
recipients make sense," said left parliamentary group vice-president Fabio De Masi on Thursday.
"However, measures should be continued until the pandemic is under control."
The
coalition committee
decided on Thursday evening, among other things, to pay families a child bonus again, similar to last year.
This time, 150 euros per child are planned
(see update from February 3, 10:45 p.m.)
.
In addition, recipients of basic security benefits such as Hartz IV should also receive a one-off payment of 150 euros.
GroKo agrees on Corona financial aid: Opposition does not go far enough
Further
economic
aid was also agreed
.
Among other things, the reduced VAT rate of seven percent for food in the catering trade is to apply until the end of 2022 and not just until June 30, 2021. “Targeted improvements in the bridging aid that work exactly where the tree is burning would make more sense than reduced ones VAT in gastronomy, ”explained De Masi according to AFP.
"Because these help especially where there is still sales." Targeted support for small and medium incomes makes more sense than tax measures.
The chairwoman of the finance committee, Katja Hessel (FDP), argued similarly.
“What use is it to restaurateurs if the
VAT
rate remains reduced but they have no income?
Seven percent of zero remains zero. "
"The signal from the coalition committee is a powerless continuation and therefore insufficient," stressed parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring Eckardt.
"After a year of crisis, that can't be the answer." The reissue of the child bonus and further assistance, especially for gastronomy and culture, are a small step forward, says Göring-Eckardt.
“But a departure that gives new hope looks different.
In
own-account workers
promised aid always come not to. "
Coalition committee between CDU, CSU and SPD: On no point great resistance
Update from February 4th, 6:59 am:
Satisfaction among the
coalition
leaders
after the five-hour negotiations in the Chancellery: "We have got a lot out of it for families, for people with a difficult income situation, but also for business people and the catering industry," said
SPD -Chef Norbert Walter-Borjans
.
Co-party leader
Saska Esken
emphasized that there was no great resistance among the coalition members.
The Union also seems happy: It was a "very harmonious coalition committee," said
parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus
(CDU).
"So that shows that the coalition is quite capable of acting in the crisis."
The top round was particularly exciting because the new
CDU chairman
Armin Laschet was there
for the first time.
Brinkhaus said he “fitted in great”.
The NRW Prime Minister is already well connected in Berlin and does not need a long training period.
"It was as if he had always been there."
A lot of harmony after the coalition committee in the Chancellery
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt
emphasized that it was "an all-round successful coalition committee".
The advice was given in a very good atmosphere.
“That was not necessarily to be expected, because one or the other statements in advance already had the feeling that one could also be in election campaign
mode
.”
(See first report)
This suspicion was “not confirmed in this way,” said Dobrindt .
Also
CSU chief Markus Söder
praised the decisions explicitly.
The Bavarian Prime Minister wrote after the consultations on Twitter that it was “good news” in the Corona crisis, which secured livelihoods, created the necessary liquidity and benefited those particularly affected.
+
Markus Söder, Prime Minister of Bavaria and CSU party chairman, arrives at the coalition committee at the Federal Chancellery.
© Christoph Soeder / dpa
According to Esken and Walter-Borjans, the new aid
(see update from February 3, 10:45 p.m.)
can be financed within the existing financial framework without a supplementary budget.
The
corona subsidy
for recipients of basic security and the child bonus cost the state around three billion euros, the lower value added tax in the catering trade adds up to around 3.5 billion euros.
In addition, there is a billion for the culture industry.
In contrast, it is currently difficult to estimate the financial impact of the tax relief for companies.
On the only topic not related to Corona, the planned
euro drone
, the CDU / CSU and SPD agreed to bring about the necessary resolutions so that the contracts for development and procurement can be signed in March.
The industrial contract does not include arming the drone, it says in its decision paper.
CDU, CSU and SPD: 150 euros child bonus planned
Update from February 3, 10:45 p.m.:
The
grand coalition
wants to
cushion
the negative consequences of the
corona pandemic
with
financial aid for low-wage earners
and
tax breaks for companies
.
As in the previous year,
families
should
receive
a
child bonus
.
The one-time surcharge on child benefit should be 150 euros.
The coalition committee of the CDU / CSU and SPD decided on Wednesday in the Chancellery, as both sides subsequently announced.
Last year families received 300 euros per child to
stimulate
consumption in the
corona crisis
.
Adult
recipients
of basic income support should now also receive
a
one-time Corona grant
of 150 euros.
For
self-employed
people who
suddenly find themselves in need
and
employees with low incomes
, the easier access to basic security will be extended until the end of 2021.
Coalition committee decides on child bonuses and aid for low-wage earners
The
GroKo is
also
helping
companies
with corona-related losses.
With an extended loss carry-back, you should be able to offset these losses in your tax return more extensively than before with profits from previous years.
It is planned to increase the loss carry-back to a maximum of 10 million euros or 20 million in the case of a joint assessment.
Want to help the CDU / CSU and SPD and the particularly hard by the
lockdown
affected
gastronomy
.
A reduced VAT rate of 7 percent will continue to apply to meals in restaurants and cafés until the end of 2022.
Originally the regulation was limited to the end of June.
Explosive Laschet premiere: Chancellor-fighter now has to run for Merkel - eyes are on Söder
First report from February 3rd, 5 p.m.
Berlin - "Coalition Committee"?
A word like from another time: In the past few months, the Corona rounds around Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister have firmly held the handle of the trade.
But when the CDU, CSU and SPD meet again on Wednesday evening, there is a lot going on.
Not least for a new protagonist in the unofficial body: Armin Laschet.
The last appointment was made by predecessor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for the CDU.
For the new CDU boss, it is the premiere in the coalition committee.
And not an easy one: Because in the GroKo there had recently been noticeable tensions.
The SPD attacked Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) several times because of the problems with obtaining the corona vaccine - which in turn caused considerable displeasure on the part of the Union.
Coalition Committee: The Bundestag election campaign is apparently already raging - SPD shoots with conviction against Spahn
Laschet cannot hope for a tame SPD.
Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz has previously denied allegations that the SPD is already campaigning with criticism of vaccination management.
"Demanding something sensible for the citizens is not campaign music," said Scholz on Wednesday in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".
Important points would also have to be discussed hard.
For example, it was "very good" that the SPD had declared early on that not everything had gone right with the procurement of sufficient vaccine, said Scholz.
There was also no lack of demands from the comrades.
SPD leader Saskia Esken, for example, demanded a corona surcharge for Hartz IV recipients in advance.
For the SPD and Scholz, the polls recently delivered lousy figures - as well as for the debutant Laschet.
The subject of the coalition committee should also be the economic consequences of the corona crisis for companies.
Laschet as Merkel helper in action - eyes are directed towards interaction with Söder
For Laschet, the appointment will be a difficult balancing act.
First of all, he has to ensure that the Berlin coalition engine continues to run as smoothly as possible so that Chancellor Angela Merkel * (CDU) can take care of the corona crisis and the time after it - whenever it starts.
In addition, Laschet * has to show a clear edge if he wants to recommend himself for a candidate for chancellor in the Union.
Because the majority of the people in the country still see another Union politician as significantly better suited for this - Markus Söder *.
And that although the CSU boss has never commented on possible ambitions in this direction.
So, not only in the CDU and CSU, they should take a close look at who sets the tone for the Union in the coalition committee and who is enforcing which issues.
Angela Merkel's majority must stand: the CDU, CSU and SPD are faced with a balancing act - with new heads at the top
It is precisely in this overall situation that many observers see the real crux: How can a coalition that has been unloved for years find the strength to make important decisions in such a situation, when everyone involved must fear disadvantages for every compromise?
Ironic voices in the coalition see it as the real success that this question even arises at the beginning of the year.
After all, the GroKo endured the entire election period.
And something else is mentioned with a wink: Probably never before have all coalition parties changed their chairmen in a legislative period.
It should help that everyone involved has known each other from various roles and offices for a long time.
Söder and Laschet, who are both likely to have an interest in continuing to present the union as closed.
Walter-Borjans and Laschet, whose relationship is considered untroubled after many years together in Düsseldorf.
Merkel's GroKo must not be tattered in the election year: Explosive is required - Dobrindt is already giving Rüffel
According to reports, the vaccination problem is not on the agenda this time.
However, the fact that even the SPD defense politicians were surprised at the provisional refusal of their party leadership to purchase armed drones for the Bundeswehr was likely.
In the Union, this is already seen as an election campaign and as a building block to create the basis for a green-red-red coalition after the general election in autumn.
The fact that the Union - which actually saw no particular need for the coalition committee - has now put the topic on the agenda should fuel the evening's meeting.
Other topics could be less controversial: The SPD probably has social issues such as a Corona child bonus and help for recipients of basic security in its luggage.
The Union wants to make it easier for companies to offset corona-related losses with profits from previous years.
The SPD-led Ministry of Finance * has been blocking this for a long time.
Some in the Union are already accusing the SPD of manners that should not occur among government partners - especially in difficult times like these.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt even publicly warned coalition discipline: "The federal government has to remain in working mode even in an election year in order to cope with the crisis." (
Dpa / fn / AFP
) *
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