Woidke demands quick help from the federal government for a rescue package

Created: 09/27/2022Updated: 09/27/2022 17:13

Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) takes part in the debate in the state parliament.

© Jens Kalaene/dpa/archive image

In the energy crisis, Brandenburg wants to put together its own aid package to give citizens security.

But Prime Minister Woidke is asking the federal government to set a course so that the country can act.

Potsdam - Brandenburg's head of government Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has asked the federal government for more rapid help because of the rising energy prices before the state consultations.

The SPD politician was confident on Tuesday that the federal government will declare an emergency so that the country can borrow for its own aid package.

It is about preventing structural breaks in Brandenburg due to the energy crisis and getting the economy through the next difficult months.

"But then you have to expect that the consequences will be drawn at the federal level in order to open up the possibilities for the federal government, but also the states, to help," said Woidke.

"What can't work is that the federal government says - we've heard that before - the federal states can declare the budget emergency for themselves and the federal government isn't going along with it, so to speak." But he was "optimistic that we will within the next Come to good decisions with the federal level this week”, because he knows the status of the internal discussion.

On Wednesday, the prime ministers will discuss the federal government's latest relief package, which the states are co-financing.

The initially planned federal-state consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be postponed to October 4th because of his corona infection.

The federal government had declared an epidemic emergency of national scope because of Corona, which applied until the end of November 2021.

According to the state government, Brandenburg would be burdened with almost one billion euros with the latest federal relief package.

"I know that almost all countries have massive problems with co-financing," said Woidke.

"But of course, in the next step, it's also about making sure that people get security."

Woidke announced two weeks ago that the country wants to launch an aid package for companies.

On Tuesday, however, he gave no details of what state aid in the energy crisis could look like.

Brandenburg's SPD parliamentary group can imagine a loan-financed aid package for municipalities in the high three-digit million range.

"We will certainly speak of a rescue package of a similar amount and amount as in Corona times," said parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller on Tuesday.

The exact amount depends on the needs of the municipalities.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the municipal corona rescue package has had a volume of 820.7 million euros since 2020.

According to Article 103 of the state constitution, the country can itself declare an emergency and take out loans beyond the debt brake.

SPD parliamentary group leader Keller said, however: "But we hope for the emergency declaration from the federal government so that it can provide more support here."

CDU parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann campaigned for a nationwide approach.

"The current situation is the same everywhere," said Redmann.

The federal government must ensure clarity.

dpa