Relief package 2022: 125 euros per month – the opposition insists on a new subsidy

Created: 06/20/2022, 17:44

By: Jens Kiffmeier

Despite the 2022 relief package: Inflation is driving up prices.

The left is pushing for a compensation of 125 euros – per month.

Does the traffic light approve the subsidy?

Berlin – Rising inflation has Germany firmly in its grip: In view of the high energy and food prices, the debate about a third relief package in 2022 is gaining momentum.

The left calls for a strong subsidy for small and medium-sized incomes.

Households should be paid a bonus of 125 euros per month, suggested party leader Janine Wissler.

For each additional person, another 50 euros should be added.

Completely utopian?

The opposition and the government judge the proposal differently.

Relief package 2022: The left demands a subsidy of 125 euros per household and month – the costs of the bonus are unclear

The war in Ukraine has been driving energy and food prices skyrocketing since the beginning of the year.

To compensate for the price jumps, the federal government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has already launched two relief packages in 2022.

Since June 1, Germans have received a tank discount and a 9-euro ticket for local public transport, among other things.

Unemployed people get a 200-euro allowance for Hartz IV. In addition, a child bonus and an energy allowance of 300 euros are to be paid out.

Demands a new relief package for 2022: party leader Janine Wissler (left).

© Wolfgang Kumm/ Patrick Pleul/dpa/Montage

But from the point of view of the left, that's not enough to absorb the rising prices.

That's why Wissler, who has to stand for re-election at a party conference next weekend, is now pushing forward with a new proposal and thus another relief package.

However, the party leaves some questions unanswered.

The party leader for the new relief package did not name either a time for the payment or a specific income limit.

She put the total cost of the 125-euro bonus at "several million euros," as reported by the dpa news agency.

The party had previously called for the 9-euro ticket to be extended to include a 365-day discount campaign.

Third relief package: CSU wants relief for pensioners in Germany - is there a new energy flat rate?

The left received support indirectly from Munich.

The Union also called on the federal government to act.

The federal government must become more active in energy policy, said Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) to the traffic light address and also pleaded for further relief.

The head of government had his demands summarized in a 15-point plan.

Among other things, the party calls for an energy flat rate for pensioners, the temporary abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables and a reduction in electricity tax.

It remains to be seen to what extent the Federal Government takes on the proposals.

In principle, the traffic light government already realized that there must be further relief in view of the price jumps.

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich was the first politician to bring another relief package into play.

However, the exact path within the coalition is controversial.

"There will definitely be further relief," said Green party leader Ricarda Lang at the weekend of the

newspaper.

It is clear that you would have to top up from autumn.

However, it is important to stagger the grants socially, i.e. low-income households should then receive further financial injections, but not the rich, who will also benefit from the payment of the child bonus from the 2022 relief package as well as from the energy price flat rate of 300 euros.

She also explicitly pointed out that pensioners with small earnings would be dependent on further state aid.

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Relief package 2022: SPD and Greens are arguing with the FDP about the relief in energy prices

But while the SPD and the Greens are open to ideas for a third relief package, the FDP is slowing down.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner also assumes that energy prices will remain high.

But the Liberal wants to move away from the watering can principle, according to which the aid is distributed across individual groups – such as the child bonus 2022 or the energy price flat rate from the 2022 relief package.

Instead, the Free Democrats are pushing for a fundamental reform of the income tax.

But the coalition will not be able to achieve this within a few weeks.

In this respect, further ideas for individual relief or a new relief package from politicians in Germany will probably come up in the summer.