Relief package on Saturday?

Traffic light summit must fix it - Verdi is already threatening protests

Created: 2022-09-02 14:32

By: Patrick Freiwah

In view of the drastic inflation, many citizens are tightening their belts.

The traffic light wants to create relief – critics are raising the alarm ever louder.

News ticker.

• Energy crisis in Germany

  :

  Inflation

  is causing growing resentment among the population.

• On

  Saturday (September 3rd)

  , the traffic light coalition wants to present new relief for citizens and companies.

• News ticker

  about the negotiations on the

  third relief package

  for Germany.

Berlin - The energy crisis caused by the Ukraine conflict and the associated inflation pose an enormous challenge for many people in Germany.

The 9-euro ticket and tank discount have ended, and a large part of the population is waiting for a reaction from the federal government, also in view of the expected further price increases.

But even after weeks of discussions and the cabinet meeting in Meseberg, the parties in the traffic light coalition are still looking for an agreement on a third relief package.

The liberation should probably follow on Saturday (September 3rd): The coalition committee will then meet, reports the AFP news agency, citing coalition circles.

A few days earlier, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had announced at least a "massive package" to relieve citizens and companies in view of the sharp rise in living costs.

Inflation makes a new relief package necessary - how is the federal government reacting?

There have recently been different ideas within the governing parties about the content of the new relief package.

As the AFP writes, there is now apparently agreement between the SPD, Greens and FDP that low earners in particular and pensioners should benefit more from it.

Power poles in Germany: The energy crisis has Germany under control - what is the coalition doing?

© NurPhoto/Imago

Christian Lindner (FDP) recently clarified the amount of financial support for German citizens: According to him, there is still scope for relief in the single-digit billions in 2022.

The following year he sees opportunities for a sum in the double-digit billion range.

At the beginning of next week, the Bundestag will discuss the budget - then the package should be in broad outline.

Germany threatens a wave of protests because of inflation - the traffic light coalition puts together a relief package

The federal government is under enormous pressure, because protests are looming: Russia's response to the sanctions imposed in response to the Ukraine war is threatening the domestic economy, not to mention the enormous rate of inflation in the cost of living.

In addition to the AfD and Linke fringe parties, the trade unions are also threatening to protest if the government does not relieve citizens sufficiently.

Verdi is also preparing demonstrations with other trade unions and social organizations over the course of the autumn.

"These become necessary when the federal government does not relieve the citizens sufficiently," explains the chairman, Frank Werneke, to the

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Energy crisis: How much relief is the federal government granting its own people?

In this regard, the question of the volume of the third relief package is exciting: "In order to compensate for the financial hardship caused by the explosion in energy prices, the state will have to spend an additional 20 to 30 billion euros this year," is Werneke's demand - that would be an essential difference to Lindner's requirement.

Linke and AfD had also announced that they would organize protests.

Should there actually be an energy shortage in addition to the rapidly rising prices for gas and electricity in winter, social upheaval could come to Germany.

The trigger for the price increases was Russia's attack on Ukraine - but the support for Ukraine could crumble, the German government fears and therefore wants to brace itself against the growing resentment with relief.