Expensive shock in Germany: the gas levy hits consumers hard.
From October, however, the new relief package should be in place.
Scholz promises that.
Berlin – Fuel, electricity and above all gas: the Germans are still facing a massive cost explosion.
But the federal government has now promised further financial aid.
A new relief package should be available from October.
The government spokeswoman for Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced this specific date.
This should primarily cushion the enormous additional costs caused by the gas surcharge.
But is the plan realistic?
Most recently, the coalition partners had fallen out over their approach.
New relief package from October: Federal government wants to absorb additional costs of the gas levy
The pressure to act is great for politicians.
After energy costs rose sharply as a result of the Ukraine war, more than 20 million gas customers will now face additional costs from October.
For example, the traffic light coalition has launched the so-called gas levy, which allows energy suppliers to pass on the higher procurement costs to consumers.
Under certain circumstances, a further 2.419 cents can be charged per kilowatt hour - which can mean up to an additional 600 euros per year for a four-person household and raises the question of a new relief package.
Most recently, the federal government realized that consumers in Germany need additional relief because of the gas crisis.
It is not only the gas costs that are causing the household budget to ebb.
The prices for electricity, petrol and groceries are also putting pressure on the budget.
"If the surcharge is due on October 1st of this year, further relief will also be available for the citizens of this country," promised the government spokeswoman on Monday, according to the dpa news agency.
Concrete proposals are already being voted on.
Third relief package: from when?
Chancellor Scholz wants a new balance in the gas crisis from October
As a result, at least the schedule for a third relief package has become more concrete.
Chancellor Scholz had already promised further compensation payments to the citizens at his summer press conference last week.
However, he did not allow himself to be pinned down to an exact date for the project.
He now had his spokeswoman make up for it.
But what will be included in the package?
The spokeswoman did not give any specific details.
But there are already numerous proposals for a new relief package on the table.
However, they are still controversial within the traffic light coalition.
While the FDP around finance minister Christian Lindner had put off the brakes for a long time and put the Germans off, the liberals were ultimately still open to a tax reform.
According to the Lindner plan, cold progression is to be combated and all tax brackets are to be adjusted for inflation.
Coalition dispute over relief package: SPD and Greens reject tax plan from Lindner and FDP - low earners should benefit
However, the tax relief law is being rejected by the SPD and the Greens.
Because it sometimes gives the top earners a great deal of tax relief, while low earners tend to get nothing.
Both the Social Democrats and the Greens consider this nonsensical in the gas crisis.
They primarily want to relieve small and medium incomes.
In addition, pensioners with low income and recipients of housing benefit should also benefit.
A waiver of VAT, which is still levied on the gas levy, is also under discussion.
The different concepts had sharpened the tone enormously within the coalition - also because Lindner rejected the ideas of the SPD and Greens as unfinanceable and complained about the free mentality.
From the perspective of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, both could work.
Everything will be packed up and added up, he said at his press conference.
And then you will see what it costs on the bottom line.
His feeling, however, is that several measures could be afforded.
New relief package: energy flat rate cannot absorb additional costs for gas surcharges
In fact, many consumers have little to counter the shock of prices in Germany.
The traffic light coalition has already put together two relief packages.
As a result, the Germans have already been able to enjoy a 9-euro ticket, a fuel discount, a Hartz IV subsidy, a children's bonus and a flat-rate energy price.
But not much remains of the 300 euros energy bonus net.
On average, after deducting tax, you end up with only 193 euros.
The gas surcharge is many times higher.
New relief package: Robert Habeck defends the gas levy and wants help for low earners
Against this background, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) sees the need for further relief.
Unfortunately, the gas levy is necessary to prevent a collapse in the gas supply, he clarified on Monday.
But "especially for those who don't have much, it's a heavy burden that is difficult or impossible to bear," he said, according to the
dpa
.
The federal government has therefore already agreed on the first steps, such as an expansion of the housing benefit with a heating cost subsidy.
“But I think that further targeted relief is necessary.
In this crisis, we have to secure the democratic consensus in socio-political terms.”
The opposition is still angry.
The Union does not fundamentally reject the gas levy or new relief.
But from the point of view of the head of the CSU state group, the federal government should have presented a concrete plan to calm the citizens.
"To present the gas surcharge without a relief program at the same time," he railed, "is disrespectful."
