In the SPD, the plans for a third relief package are taking concrete shape. The parliamentary group headed by Rolf Mützenich is working on a package of measures designed to protect households with low incomes in particular from the consequences of rising energy prices and to promote the expansion of renewable energies as an alternative to Russian gas as quickly as possible.
As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, it envisages, among other things, further direct payments, a successor model to the nine-euro ticket and protective clauses for citizens and companies in financial distress.
“Overcoming the crisis together and in solidarity” – under this title the parliamentary group leadership launched a resolution paper on Sunday that was actually intended for the parliamentarians’ retreat at the end of the week in Dresden. Now the Social Democrats are bringing their ideas into the debate earlier.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, the traffic light partners SPD, Greens and FDP will meet for the cabinet retreat in Meseberg, Brandenburg. At the meeting, the first steps for a next relief package are likely to be discussed. Rapidly rising prices for gas and electricity have put the government under enormous pressure to act.
The Social Democrats want to help citizens again with direct payments, as they did with the energy flat rate of 300 euros, writes the Süddeutsche Zeitung. This time, however, the payments are to be limited to those on middle and lower incomes, to pensioners, recipients of unemployment benefits, students and trainees.
The paper does not provide any information about the amount of the payment and how the group of recipients should be precisely defined. Pensioners had been exempted from the previous energy money, which had led to heavy criticism of the government. For a targeted payment linked to income, the SPD expects a proposal from Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) “as soon as possible”.
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Depending on the further supply situation and the economic situation, the SPD wants to discuss an “electricity and gas price brake”. The price increase should be dampened for a certain basic requirement, which still has to be defined. In addition, there should be hardship rules. Tenants should not be allowed to give notice if they cannot pay their ancillary costs. The housing allowance is to be reformed and permanently take heating costs into account.
If the SPD parliamentary group has its way, there will also be a successor to the nine-euro ticket. “In cooperation with the federal states, we want to introduce a nationwide valid public transport ticket with a monthly price of 49 euros, which will be borne 50 percent each by the federal and state governments.”
The SPD also takes a look at companies. The SPD parliamentarians want to put up a “protective shield” for municipal energy suppliers, who currently have to buy electricity and gas at horrendous prices, with the aim of preventing insolvencies. The gas surcharge of 2.4 cents, which gas customers are supposed to pay from October, must be readjusted so that companies that are making profits do not also benefit from it. “We expect companies that make billions in profits and are not threatened by bankruptcy not to file applications.”
In addition, the Social Democrats want to set incentives to save energy and accelerate the expansion of renewable energies. The technically feasible is to be extracted from existing systems, and the corresponding permits must be granted as quickly as possible. If the three remaining nuclear power plants remain in operation beyond 2022, “existing safety standards would have to apply,” the paper says.
Group leader Mützenich told SZ: “It is important to me that we as a group act with an overall concept. That’s why we didn’t go public with individual proposals over the summer break, but worked carefully on this paper so that we could present it as a whole at our retreat.”
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