Economist criticizes Habeck: "These decisions will not go down well in the history books"
Created: 07/16/2022 04:53
By: Lisa Mayerhofer
Robert Habeck (left) and Olaf Scholz are sharply criticized by the economist Rüdiger Bachmann.
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Germany is getting closer and closer to a gas crisis.
In a report, economist Rüdiger Bachmann expresses harsh criticism of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Economics Minister Robert Habeck.
Berlin – Germany is heading for a severe energy crisis: If Russia does not turn on the gas tap again after maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, there is a risk of a gas shortage.
This would hit the German economy hard and result in drastic price increases for consumers.
Economist on gas crisis: "There may be no consequences at the ballot box"
Was it foreseeable that this could happen?
And can you control it?
The economist Rüdiger Bachmann, together with other economists, proposed a gas embargo against Russia in March - and also presented a concept for dealing with the resulting gas shortage.
The federal government rejected an embargo at the time.
In an ntv
interview with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens)
, the economist is now harshly in court.
Bachmann told the broadcaster: “The federal government has decided against a gas embargo, including other measures such as import duties on Russian gas.
Not even the Greek and Cypriot shipowners were included in the sanctions, they are allowed to continue transporting Russian oil.
Are we, as scientists, supposed to keep running into the same wall?”
In a democracy, politics decides.
However, politics would then have to answer to the voters and to history.
“There may be no consequences at the ballot box.
But I'm sure those decisions won't go down well in the history books.
And I think Scholz and Habeck know that too," the economist told
ntv
.
Bachmann: Consumers should not be spared from rising gas prices
It had always been clear that gas shortages could also occur without an embargo.
That is why it would have been important to take measures in March to prepare for a gas shortage: "It would have been good if we had already started saving gas in the previous heating season.
It should have started in March at the latest.
That didn't happen objectively," Bachmann explains to the broadcaster.
He also speaks out against consumers being spared from the rising prices: “That would be the sure way to economic catastrophe.
If consumers are relieved, this must happen independently of the rising energy costs - that is basic economic knowledge.
Prices must not be subsidized, otherwise there is no incentive to reduce energy consumption.
Relief will have to be provided for lower and middle incomes.
But what exactly that looks like is again a political decision," Bachmann
told ntv
.
Suddenly the vice chancellor is caught in the crosshairs.
Habeck against gas price caps: "Wrong signal"
But Habeck also rejects a state price cap for gas.
The high price increases are an "external shock" and could not be fully absorbed by the state, Habeck said last week on the sidelines of the Munich Crafts Fair.
“The country will have to bear that in one form or another.” Economic ministers also believe that a price cap would send the wrong signal: “Capping the prices of a scarce commodity would send a signal: energy is not valuable, find out what you want,” said Habeck.
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"We are still facing enormous price increases," said the Green politician with a view to the coming winter.
According to Habeck, however, the federal government wants to ensure that the burden of high gas prices is distributed "fairly".
But he didn't go into any more detail.
Yasmin Fahimi, head of the DGB, spoke out in favor of capping gas prices.
In the first half of the year, gas consumption in Germany fell by 14 percent, said Habeck.
Even if you subtract a little from this number because of the warm winter, consumption was almost ten percent lower.
There is no market problem with the gas supply, since the high prices "sucked in" a lot of gas to Europe, said Habeck.
"It's a physical problem, the gas just has to arrive."
(lma/dpa)
