Decided, then overturned: Nouripour railed – “Gas levy must go”

Created: 09/26/2022, 18:46

By: Jens Kiffmeier

Looking for a way out of the gas crisis: Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).

© Sven Simon/Kay Nietfeld/imago/dpa/Montage

The chaos is perfect: the Greens insist on stopping the gas levy.

But when?

It will probably be decided first, only to be overturned again later.

Berlin – Yes, abolition, but only after the introduction: the tipping of the gas surcharge continues to cause headaches for the federal government.

After the nationalization of Uniper, the controversial levy should be buried as soon as possible.

The gas surcharge has to go, the federal government agrees on this, Green Party leader Omid Nouripour confirmed on Monday (September 26, 2022).

Only the exact way is still unclear.

Nevertheless, millions of gas customers will not be able to avoid chaos.

Gas surcharge in Germany: First decided, then overturned – after the nationalization of Uniper it is obsolete

The gas surcharge will come into effect on October 1, 2022.

Actually, the gas customers in Germany should shell out around 2.4 percent extra per kilowatt hour, it has already been decided.

But after the nationalization of Uniper, many experts no longer consider the instrument, which was controversial from the start, to be appropriate.

The call for the gas surcharge to be quickly overturned became loud – and triggered weeks of arguments in the traffic light coalition.

Gas surcharge: Significance will decrease after the nationalization of bankrupt Uniper by Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).

Originally, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) introduced the gas levy at the current level as a reaction to the energy crisis.

Because the Russian stop supplying gas through the pipelines to Germany has brought the country's largest energy supplier, namely Uniper, to the brink of bankruptcy.

Because the failed deliveries on the spot market have to be replaced at overpriced prices, the group is making billions in losses.

In order to prevent the energy suppliers from collapsing and to stabilize the companies, gas customers should share in the costs via a gas surcharge.

But the gas surcharge alone is not enough.

This became apparent shortly after the cabinet had introduced the law.

Last week, Habeck then announced the entry of the federal government and the nationalization of Uniper.

Gas levy tilts: Greens and SPD are putting pressure on Finance Minister Christian Lindner

But from the point of view of the Greens and SPD, the citizens cannot be burdened with everything - nationalization with taxpayers' money plus participation through the gas levy.

Therefore, both parties recently spoke out in favor of the levy tipping over.

Alternatively, gas customers should now be relieved by a gas price cap.

But that costs.

And that's why Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) was on the brakes.

He did not want to jeopardize the debt brake with new relief packages worth billions.

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But at the weekend, Lindner bowed to the pressure and announced the about-face.

The levy should be tilted, he also promised.

But now one question remains, namely: How is that supposed to work?

The law to introduce it is already on its way.

Gas price cap instead of gas levy: Traffic light coalition promises quick relief in the gas crisis

A spokeswoman for Habeck announced on Monday an "orderly procedure" by politicians.

At the weekend, a commission of experts looked for a suitable solution.

The idea: the gas surcharge should first come into effect from October, with advance payments not being due until the end of the coming month anyway.

That gives the coalition a little more time, be it for abolishing or introducing the gas price cap.

In any case, it will happen "very quickly," promised a government spokesman for Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Monday.

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In any case, Green leader Nouripour expects that the gas levy will initially be introduced as planned on October 1st, but will then not last.

"I have to admit," he told RTL/n-tv, "that I assume that the gas levy will be effective on October 1st.

comes into force.” However, he could assure that Habeck, despite the introduction, is working feverishly to ensure that it is immediately overturned.

The levy, as confirmed by SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, is “no longer the method of choice”.