The high inflation occupies the Bundestag: The Union presented a long list of demands to mitigate the consequences of inflation. There were many expressions of sympathy for the citizens from all parties. For them, however, the debate ended with a bitter realization.
Close to the people who take the concerns and fears of the citizens seriously, leave no one behind. Such formulas easily roll off politicians’ lips, regardless of the color of the party book. When many people are currently complaining about exorbitant energy prices, high food prices and an inflation rate of eight percent, it is only natural that the representatives of the people will take up this issue. But not everyone does it in the same way.
On Thursday, the CDU/CSU opposition took the opportunity to present itself as the guardian of small people and business. She presented the Bundestag with a long list of demands to mitigate the consequences of inflation. The energy price flat rate should also benefit pensioners, students and transfer recipients, the electricity tax for private individuals and entrepreneurs should be reduced as well as the price for industrial electricity. Among other things, the CDU/CSU wants to fully compensate for the “cold progression”, which flushes billions into the state’s tax coffers thanks to inflation, retrospectively as of January 1st.
The traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP were no less concerned about the citizens than the opposition in the 80-minute debate. But they are not thinking of quickly following two relief packages with a third. Several politicians from their ranks have already called for additional relief for private households. But it is part of the parliamentary ritual that governing parties and opposition fundamentally find what the other side is demanding bad or wrong, even if they are also secretly striving for it.
It was striking that the government deliberately tried to dismiss the opposition’s move as not particularly significant. Without exception, the traffic light parties sent speakers from the second and third rows to the lectern. For Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the EU summit was understandably more important than this discharge debate, and Economics Minister Robert Habeck preferred to schedule a press conference on the energy crisis at the same time. Finance Minister Christian Lindner listened to the speech battle, but did not intervene himself. He skilfully showed respect and distance at the same time towards the opposition. Opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) probably did not take part in the debate because the Chancellor was not there. After all, the CDU/CSU sent two ex-ministers Julia Klöckner and Jens Spahn into the fray from the front row.
He skilfully showed respect and distance at the same time towards the opposition. Opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) probably did not take part in the debate because the Chancellor was not there. After all, the Union sent two ex-ministers Julia Klöckner and Jens Spahn into the fray from the front row.
The speakers were not lacking in expressions of sympathy. “Don’t forget the pensioners” (Klöckner), “get everyone through the crisis well” (Michael Schrodi/SPD), “help the people who really need it” (Andreas Audretsch/Greens) – everyone had such formulations in the manuscript. But they devoted most of the speaking time to accusations against the other side. From a traffic light point of view, the Union proposals are dubious and implausible, but from the Union’s perspective, the government is letting the citizens down.
The debate about the motion to “end the price spiral” was no different than many others under the Reichstag dome: very quickly it was more about gaining party political ground than about serious efforts to relieve the citizens battered by inflation in such a way that the national debt was not rises immeasurably. Because the advance of the CDU/CSU suffered from a design flaw: Not a single proposal stated what it would cost and how it was to be financed.
In the end, the expected result was achieved: the traffic light parties rejected the CDU/CSU initiative, supported by the AfD and the Left Party. One thing is certain: the Bundestag will not be able to decide on additional relief until autumn at the earliest. Because after the first week of July, Parliament goes on vacation. The citizens will not have to do without further sympathetic words during the parliamentary summer break, but they will have to do without additional help.
