Gas levy Zoff with "Anne Will": Laumann warns Lindner - "The next shot must be right"

Created: 09/26/2022, 1:00 p.m

Anne Will in conversation with Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP).

© ARD Mediathek (Screenshot)

Christian Lindner and Karl-Josef Laumann discuss the gas levy and the gas price brake at Anne Will's.

In addition, another price brake is to come.

Berlin – What was the back and forth about the gas levy.

The parties, especially Robert Habeck (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP), have been arguing about it for weeks.

And what will we find out on Sunday?

The gas surcharge can go away if Christian Lindner has his way.

“Does the coalition still have a common crisis course?” Anne Will asks on ARD.

The idea came to him “not overnight”.

He had set up a working group in his ministry called "Gas Price Brake".

"The gas levy had a special purpose in connection with Uniper," explains Lindner, "but the impression must not be given that we are responding to increased prices with further price increases."

"Anne Will" - these guests discussed with:

• Christian Lindner (FDP)

  - Minister of Finance

• Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU)

  – Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia

• Julia Friedrichs -

  author, journalist, filmmaker

• Clemens Fuest –

  President ifo Institute for Economic Research

Instead, a bundle of measures is necessary: ​​the gas stored with taxpayers' money must flow back, "then the prices will drop".

When it comes to electricity, coal and nuclear power must be kept on the grid, “that has a price effect”.

At the European level, jointly coordinated purchasing can help.

"The bill will increase, but it must not be ruinous," repeats Lindner.

Whether the gas levy, which was to be decided on Wednesday in the Bundestag, is now finally off the table, Lindner "cannot answer alone".

Lindner fears that energy prices "will never again be as low as they were before the Ukraine war".

Despite all the relief measures, the finance minister wants to stick to the debt brake.

"The money has to be paid back at some point."

Reporter wonders why people don't have financial reserves

The reporter Julia Friedrichs is bothered when the disagreements in the government are looked at with malice.

"This is not the right time," she says.

She wonders why working people have not managed to build up financial reserves.

This shows that something fundamental is wrong.

Friedrichs gives the example of a postal worker who accompanied her for a film.

"With a net wage of 1,700 euros, this woman has 15 euros left over per month," says Friedrichs.

All potential savings have been exhausted and only one room needs to be heated.

"It mainly affects the lower middle class, we urgently need to talk about these people," demands the reporter.

Clemens Fuest: Gas price brake is "fundamentally wrong"

"We have to do it right," says Clemens Fuest, President of the ifo Institute.

One has to consider that not only gas but also electricity is becoming more expensive.

In addition, many other things such as groceries.

"And wages aren't rising," says Fuest and agrees with Julia Friedrichs: "I also see the danger that the lower middle class will fall through the cracks."

"We have to do it wisely, we can't spend 160 billion," demands Fuest.

You have to focus on those in need.

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For this reason, the gas price brake is “fundamentally wrong”: “People like us in this round would also benefit from the fact that gas is becoming cheaper again.” Instead, Fuest is thinking of an energy bonus for the needy of 1000 euros so that they “get through the winter come".

In addition, savings incentives for gas customers with old contracts would have to be created.

Fuest suggests that you could buy these old contracts.

And further: “All power plants throughout Europe must be connected to the grid, whether coal or nuclear, only then will prices fall.

Otherwise we won't survive this winter."

Laumann: Concentration on the lower income third

Karl-Josef Laumann, Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia, advocates concentrating on the lower third of income in the future.

"I think, dear Christian Lindner, we will only be able to comply with the debt brake if we concentrate on the bottom third," says Laumann.

"People who are doing well have to see for themselves how they can deal with the situation." Laumann fears "if we don't do anything, we won't have any bakers in Germany in two years".

Lindner nods.

In order to lower prices, Laumann also clearly advocates the use of all nuclear and coal-fired power plants.

Laumann: "Dear people, something has been done"

Christian Lindner cannot understand envious looks at other European countries.

With a volume of 100 billion euros for the previous measure, Germany is at the top in Europe.

An electricity price brake is currently being discussed.

"The electricity price brake is coming," promises Lindner.

"The shot has to be right," demands Laumann, "because the matter with the allocation, dear people, something has been done because it wasn't thought through to the end."

Lindner then demands “human standards” from “dear Karl-Josef” (“we have known each other for a long time”).

After all, you are in a crisis situation.

Julia Friedrichs speaks of 130 billion euros that would have to be spent on additional energy from abroad.

To fund these expenses, she keeps an eye on large fortunes and inheritances.

"Perhaps the time has now come when we can give something back to the country to which we owe this prosperity." Lindner replies that "Germany is already a high-tax country".

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From a public welfare perspective, Lindner sees no scope to massively increase taxes.

Nevertheless, he makes a promise: "No one should starve or freeze for financial reasons, our society has to make this promise to each other."

Anne Will - Conclusion of the program from September 25th

As controversial as the gas levy was, the group agreed that the lower third of the income group must be given targeted help.

Finance Minister Lindner announces a gas price brake, which the Ifo President considers "fundamentally wrong".

Laumann also takes Lindner to task and demands that the next idea must be right.

A lot of pressure for Lindner, who wants "human standards" and promises that nobody will have to starve and freeze in winter because there is not enough money.