Is Scholz creating clarity now? Statement LIVE NOW

On Tuesday, the prime ministers met with Olaf Scholz to talk about the relief. Now there is a live statement on the results. The ticker for the MPK.

• MPK to the energy crisis: “Prices have to go down”! scholz praises “close ranks” with countries
• expert commission to the planned gas price brake: She wants to present a proposal at the weekend.
• libertine speaks of “Defensive Screen” as “lucky bag”: He demands clear funding guidelines from the federal government, but also freedom for the states.
• This News ticker to the Prime Ministers’ Conference on October 4th is updated regularly.

Update from October 4th, 9:45 p.m.: Stefan Weil, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, describes the talks as “very constructive consultations.” The 200 billion was recognized as an important step. “I see this as a breakthrough,” said Weil. However, no further concrete decisions have been made yet. There is still no consensus on housing benefit and public transport. Long application procedures must be avoided.

Presumably, the municipal energy industry must also be discussed in order to support hospitals, among other things. The next prime ministerial conference is planned for two weeks. “We hope that by the end of the month we will be able to draw a final line on many issues here.” Today’s talks were an “intermediate stage”.

MPK on the energy crisis: “Prices must come down”! Scholz praises “close ranks” with countries

Update from October 4, 9:20 p.m.: After the federal-state talks, Olaf Scholz will present the results of the round. At the beginning, the Chancellor made it clear once again: “We will probably be able to guarantee energy security for Germany.” It also says: “Prices have to go down.” This must happen across the EU. Otherwise, Scholz remains very general. He addresses the electricity price brake and the gas price cap again.

These measures, in combination with the three relief packages, will cost 295 billion euros. The federal government wants to take over 240 to 250 billion euros. “There are still discussions about how this can be shouldered by the federal and state governments, which have not yet been concluded between the federal and state governments,” says Scholz. The decision on the costs for refugees should not be made until the end of the year. Scholz, however, praises the “close ranks” that the federal and state governments are closing in order to facilitate the relief.

Deserted from federal-state talks: Can’t close daycare centers “because we can’t afford the heating costs”

Update from October 4, 8:55 p.m.: At the moment, the federal and state governments are discussing the planned relief packages and the “defense shield” against rising gas prices. Hendrik Wüst, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, had already called for more clarity after the negotiations in the morning. The people in the population should know how much they will actually relieve.

The federal states would also be willing to contribute a part, but “it can’t be right that we’re already considering closing facilities such as daycare centers, schools, universities and vocational schools because we can’t afford the heating costs”. so libertine at Deutschlandfunk. In addition to the energy and gas price cap, the successor to the 9-euro ticket, housing benefit and refugee financing should also be an issue.

Because dampens expectations before MPK: only an “interim result”, no final advice

Update from October 4, 5:26 p.m.: The chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK), Lower Saxony’s head of government, Stephan Weil (SPD), has dampened expectations of the forthcoming federal-state meeting. “Today there can be no final consultation between the federal and state governments on the financial issues to be discussed,” said Weil on Tuesday after a meeting of state leaders in Berlin. Instead, there could only be an “intermediate status”. The expert commission also wants to present its proposal for the gas price brake next weekend (see update 5:02 p.m.).

Weil welcomed the 200 billion package, with which the federal government wants to protect citizens and companies from high gas prices, as “real major progress”.

Commission of experts on the planned gas price brake: proposal expected for the weekend

Update from October 4, 5:02 p.m.: The federal-state meeting in the afternoon is intended to provide clarity on the planned relief packages and the gas price brake. Much is still uncertain. The commission of experts on the gas price brake convened by the federal government now wants to present a proposal at the weekend after the MPK.

“The Commission is working flat out to present politicians with recommendations for a balanced and practicable gas price brake as quickly as possible,” said the chairmen. Attention should be paid to financial relief without destroying incentives to save on gas. Various approaches are still in the running.

Wüst speaks of “defence shield” as a “lucky bag” – “Nobody knows exactly what’s in it…”

Update from October 4, 4:38 p.m.: Before the Prime Minister’s conference with Olaf Scholz, Hendrik Wüst hopes for more clarity on the planned measures and their financing. “We now need a pact of national unity to get the people and the country through autumn and winter well,” said the deputy chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference on Tuesday.

“In terms of impact, it’s still a bit of a grab bag. Nobody knows exactly what’s in it, but everyone is looking forward to it.”

The 200 billion “defense shield” and its effects would still be like a “lucky bag.” “Nobody knows exactly what’s in it, but everyone is looking forward to it,” says Wüst. It is important to clarify as quickly as possible where the gas and electricity prices should be. Municipalities and states are prepared to take responsibility for financing the relief package. However, the federal government must also leave room for the states to carry out their own tasks.

Wüst does not expect a solution to all questions from the MPK on Tuesday.

MPK in the Bundestag: countries express demands before talks with Olaf Scholz

First report from October 4th: Berlin – Third relief package and the anti-gas shield: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet the Prime Ministers of the federal states in the afternoon. The topic is the measures against the energy crisis. Above all, the financing of the packages still seems unclear. While the country leaders are calling for the burden to be shared, Left Party leader Dietmar Bartsch has bigger goals. He calls for an increase in pensions – against an “old-age poverty avalanche in winter”.

MPK in the Bundestag: State leaders are calling for the price brake to be implemented quickly – “Every day counts”

Electricity and gas prices are rising and many citizens don’t know how to pay the higher bills. A third relief package with tax cuts and increased child benefits has already been approved. In a first press conference, Chancellor Olaf Scholz also announced a “defensive umbrella” worth up to 200 billion euros to reduce gas prices. This should run until the end of winter 2023/24 at the latest and support both consumers and companies. The measure is to be financed with loans. Economics Minister Habeck’s gas levy was thus off the table.

However, the distribution of the costs of both measures is still being discussed. “My expectation of the MPK on Tuesday is very clear: a constructive discussion about a fair distribution of burdens,” said the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer (SPD). Rheinische Post from Monday.

Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst (CDU) pushed for a quick implementation of the gas price brake. “People finally want to know how high the relief is for them personally” and many companies are “up to their necks in water,” he said Stuttgart newspaper and the Stuttgart News. “Every day counts.”

Bartsch calls for a pension increase before MPK – otherwise there is a risk of “old-age poverty avalanche in winter”.

In order to prevent poverty in old age due to rapidly rising energy prices, the left is also demanding an increase in the pension level. “We need an increase in the pension level that compensates for inflation, and a minimum pension of 1,200 euros,” said Bartsch Augsburg General from Tuesday. Otherwise, due to the considerable inflation, there is a risk of an “old-age poverty avalanche in winter”.

Bartsch referred to an evaluation by his parliamentary group, according to which the proportion of pensioners at risk of poverty in Germany had increased even before the energy shock. Their share increased nationwide from 16.3 percent to 17.4 percent. Wealthy federal states such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are also affected by the development.