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Economics Minister Robert Habeck: "I'm not in a good position"
Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP
On Saturday, Robert Habeck is in Flensburg, his homeland, in the north of Germany, and there he draws up a bleak scenario: According to estimates, electricity prices for consumers will double in the winter, and heating prices will even triple or quadruple.
It's not about hundreds, but about thousands of euros for the average consumption of a family.
"We are working on catching them, but certainly not for everyone and certainly not one hundred percent," says the Economics Minister.
"Working on it," catch - it's a simple announcement, kept matter-of-fact by Habeck's standards.
Habeck is in correction mode.
According to the survey, a large majority thinks the gas surcharge is wrong
At the end of last week he had to concede that the gas levy worked out in his economics ministry, which consumers are supposed to pay from October 1, not only protects wavering energy companies from collapsing and thus ensures the supply.
But that the levy could also help companies that are not in need because of lavish income in other business areas to make profits.
And this time the otherwise so eloquent Green did not manage to sugarcoat this problem.
Habeck got tangled up, pushed off responsibility, was clueless where he shouldn't be clueless - and announced corrections to the regulation.
But the impression remains: Habeck and his house did not work properly.
And something even bigger: While the citizens, including the little people, pay, some companies continue to enrich themselves via government policies.
According to a survey by the opinion research institute Insa for "Bild am Sonntag", 72 percent of the citizens surveyed consider the levy planned from October 1 to be wrong.
Criticism from the FDP, malicious attacks from the SPD
It is a problem for the entire government made up of SPD, Greens and FDP, who wanted the gas levy.
But now it mainly sticks to Habeck.
But especially in the SPD - you have to have this impression - there is great resentment that Habeck, who otherwise seems to be doing most things well, is now in trouble.
The attacks on the economics minister seem to be more important than a united front in the crisis.
Finally there is a distraction from their own big problems: the rumblings in the SPD around Chancellor Scholz and his clumsy crisis management.
The choice of words in the criticism of Habeck can hardly be distinguished between CDU leader Friedrich Merz and leading comrades.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil speaks of "technical errors".
Habeck undoubtedly has an interesting communication style, "and of course we notice that it goes down well with the public," says Klingbeil.
"In the end, it's not just nice words that count in politics, the substance has to be right - that's what we're measured by."
“The Habeck principle works like this: appearances ready for film, technical implementation questionable and in the end the citizen pays for it,” said SPD parliamentary group Vice President Dirk Wiese according to “Bild am Sonntag”.
The SPD member of the Bundestag, Ralf Stegner, tells SPIEGEL: "Good politics not only includes poetic words and successful public appearances, but also substantially correct decisions - this has not yet been achieved in relation to the gas levy." Stegner demands: "If the The fact that the gas levy designed by Habecks Haus hits people with low and normal incomes particularly hard and at the same time collects from companies that are not in need at all, represents an imbalance that we will not accept as it is.«
Green politician: “Absolutely dishonest to blame Habeck alone for problems”
What's next for Habeck?
The pressure to achieve change is great, also from within our own ranks.
Andreas Audretsch, deputy parliamentary group leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, tells SPIEGEL: “The gas levy aims to prevent the gas supply from collapsing.
If corporations with good profits now want to siphon off money at the expense of consumers, that is unbearable.
Such behavior destroys trust in an already extremely difficult situation and must be ended.« It is correct that Robert Habeck announced that he wanted to prevent such behavior.
"The allocation must be changed accordingly," says Audretsch.
It is questionable how quickly such corrections will come and then take effect.
Habeck's ministry had already dampened expectations and referred to legal difficulties.
According to the gas network operator subsidiary Trading Hub Europe (THE), it is not possible to change the gas surcharge when it starts in October.
"A recalculation of the surcharge with effect from October 1st is not provided for by the regulation after August 15th," said a THE spokeswoman for the "Rheinische Post".
A change in the levy is possible at a later date.
Meanwhile, the Greens are also angry about the attacks by the traffic light partners on Habeck: “I think it is absolutely dishonest to blame the problems with the gas levy on Habeck alone.
It was Chancellor Scholz and Finance Minister Lindner who wanted the gas surcharge much earlier, which would have led to even greater burdens on consumers," a Green member of the Bundestag told SPIEGEL.
Scholz also deliberately wanted to protect the Finnish group Fortum, the main shareholder in the struggling energy group Uniper.
He also “did not insist on further rescue money from the Finnish state.
Instead, according to Scholz, consumers in Germany should be charged even earlier.«
“We can only get through the winter well with more justice.
The logical consequence is an excess profits tax," says Green Audretsch.
»I expect the coalition partners to end the blockade.
It is not enough for Mr. Klingbeil to signal approval in beautifully composed statements.
We need clarity, both from the finance minister and the chancellor.«
After all, when it comes to finding a solution, the SPD calls for common ground: "We must and will solve this problem together in the traffic light coalition," said SPD man Stegner.
"I'm not in a good position," Habeck recently described his situation regarding the gas levy.
What happens next for him also depends on what credits will be posted to his account in the future.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet will meet for a retreat at the Schloss Meseberg guest house north of Berlin.
At least the Economics Minister has good news to announce in advance: The gas storage facilities are filling up at record speed.
"The reservoirs fill up faster than specified," Habeck told SPIEGEL.
His ministry expects the target for October to be reached as early as September.
There will probably not be a lack of gas in winter.