Alarm about gas: Klingbeil predicts “hard months”, Lindner “the end of politics on credit”
Created: 06/24/2022, 10:43 am
The guests at "Maybrit Illner" (ZDF) on June 23, 2022.
© Claudius Pflug/ZDF
Robert Habeck has declared the second alarm level for the gas supply.
While Lars Klingbeil outlines the government's successes, Christian Lindner speaks plainly.
Berlin – Russia turns off the gas tap, Germany in shock.
Reason enough for Maybrit Illner to throw the planned topic overboard shortly before the broadcast.
The words that Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck addressed to the public in the morning are too important: “We have a disruption in the gas supply in Germany, that’s how it is defined.
It is therefore necessary to declare this alert level.
From now on, gas is a scarce commodity in Germany,” said Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday.
“Today the federal government declared the alarm level for the gas supply.
The energy war escalates.
What does this mean for consumers and companies?
Can politics help when energy prices rise to astronomical heights?
Does industry have to be shut down in winter and the citizens freeze?” asks Maybrit Illner.
"Maybrit Illner" - these guests discussed with:
Christian Lindner (FDP)
- Federal Minister of Finance
Lars Klingbeil (SPD)
– SPD party leader
Monika Schnitzer -
economics
Henrike Roßbach –
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Klaus Müller –
President of the Federal Network Agency
The gas is scarce, so now the alarm bells are ringing.
"Because Putin is serious, even before we could spell the word embargo," it says in the clip. If the Federal Network Agency determines a significant reduction in gas imports, exploding market prices are likely to be passed on to consumers unfiltered.
Economics Monika Schnitzler first looks to the past.
"Fortunately, we still had gas for four months when many people were talking about turning off the gas taps," says Schnitzler. "The gas storage tanks are 60 percent full, four months ago it looked very different." .
However, the economic consequences for Germany could be enormous.
High energy costs are pushing back the upswing that was to be expected after the pandemic.
"As the Council of Economic Experts, we have reduced our growth forecast for this year from over four percent to under two percent." If energy costs continue to rise, a recession must be assumed.
Klingbeil hands out against Merz, Linder agrees
In this regard, Christian Lindner makes it clear that the state cannot continue to take financial countermeasures against every crisis.
“Germany's fiscal options are limited.
We cannot afford additional debt.
Last year the state paid four billion euros for its interest, next year I am already planning with 30 billion euros – we cannot continue politics on credit.”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil states that the government fought to prevent a gas embargo.
There has been a lot of criticism for that.
Friedrich Merz said succinctly in the Maybrit Illner program that Nord Stream 1 should be switched off.
"Today we are glad that we filled the gas tanks for four months," says Klingbeil to Christian Lindner's nod of approval.
“We stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
But now we see that something is happening to us too, we have to be prepared for a tough few months.”
SPD party chairman Lars Klingbeil as a guest on "Maybrit Illner" (ZDF).
© Claudius Pflug/ZDF
also read
Staged assassination attempt against Putin?
New report documents alleged coup attempt in Kremlin
US intelligence sees a turning point in the Ukraine war: the West is still faced with the weapons dilemma
Federal Network Agency boss Klaus Müller also finds clear words: "As of today, we have a stable supply at a low level - at a level that is too low." The results of various calculation models regarding the energy supply in the coming months "did not make him happy".
Crucial days await us in July.
On July 11, Nord Stream 1 will undergo ten days of maintenance.
A mandatory program that had never been mentioned in the past.
What happens next is a look into the crystal ball.
"Unfortunately one can be very concerned about what happens after the maintenance, everything is possible, a ramp-up to 100 percent, a continuation to 40 percent, which we have today, but unfortunately also grim scenarios."
Netzagentur boss Müller sees “terrible and drastic decisions”
According to Illner, the consumer center calculates that a family of three will have to pay around 2,000 euros in energy costs for the current year.
Journalist Henrike Roßbach therefore sees the federal government as having a duty to relieve people.
"We have to start saving energy and putting money aside now," says the SZ editor.
"The next level would be the emergency level," explains Maybrit Illner and asks Klaus Müller: "What happens if the gas is really missing?" The BNA boss says that groups that are particularly worthy of protection would be given priority.
These are hospitals, nursing homes, barracks, but also expressly private households.
A short pause, the expression becomes more serious: "But we would have to make terrible and drastic decisions at the expense of the industry." The Federal Network Agency was not well prepared for this situation in March.
In the meantime, however, an IT platform is being set up on which the companies are to enter key figures, which can be used to make a selection in the emergency stage.
However, Mueller also says
When Christian Lindner says he knows "no taboos" about reducing prices and also mentions hydrogen produced from nuclear energy, Lars Klingbeil is skeptical.
The SPD leader prefers liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energies, but "no one should lose their home because of rising energy prices".
Conclusion of the "Maybrit Illner" talk
Germany can dress warmly in the coming months.
It is eagerly awaited how much gas will arrive after Nord Stream 1 has been serviced.
The economic consequences are also unclear, Monika Schnitzer even thinks a recession is possible.
While Lindner knows "no taboos" with regard to nuclear power, Klingbeil would like to close a supply gap with renewable energies.
(Christoph Heuser)