Merz on energy money: Better 1000 euros for the poor than 300 euros for everyone - "The state cannot help everyone"

Created: 08/28/2022, 1:49 p.m

By: Christoph Gschossmann

Friedrich Merz (CDU) calls for more relief for low earners.

© Tomasz Gzell/dpa

The energy crisis and inflation determine the purse of the Germans: relief should come.

Friedrich Merz explains who, in his view, should get a particularly large amount.

Berlin / Munich - The prices for electricity, gas and food are rising: relief for the citizens is to come.

But who gets how much?

The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz called for a clearer focus on low earners in the relief discussion - and less help for households with medium or high incomes.

"1000 euros energy money for the incomes in the lower third would (s) make more sense than 300 euros for everyone," he told

and

.

Merz continues: "I also don't understand why large companies get financial support per se, but small ones don't.

There must be clear criteria here as to who has what entitlement.” But the crisis cannot be overcome by relief alone.

Merz, who also heads the parliamentary group, added: “But the fact is that the state cannot help everyone.” And: “In this crisis we will see companies that cannot do it.

And we cannot promise to balance everything out of the federal budget.”

New relief steps are to be presented "promptly".

Business and consumer protection associations have also called on the federal government to provide additional relief for citizens quickly and comprehensively.

The sharp rise in energy prices would "massively overwhelm" the less wealthy sections of the population, according to a letter to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens).

The letter available to the German Press Agency comes from the GdW Federal Association of German housing and real estate companies, the Federal Association of Consumer Centers vzbv and the VKU Association of Public Utilities.

The federal government is currently working on another relief package due to the sharp rise in energy and food prices.

She advises on Tuesday and Wednesday at a cabinet meeting in the guest house Schloss Meseberg north of Berlin.

According to information from the coalition parties, new relief measures are to be presented “soon” (Greens leader Ricarda Lang) or “in a few days” (SPD general secretary Kevin Kühnert).

The public ones are usually expensive too, and the €9 ticket expires at the end of August.

There are demands for a discounted bus and train ticket – but the federal government is putting the brakes on it.