- Federal government fails to provide Bavaria with flood aid
Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder has accused the federal government of complete failure in dealing with flood damage. "Nothing, absolutely nothing, has come to help so far. We're not getting any support from the large flood reconstruction fund. Bavaria is just supposed to pay in, but we're not getting anything out. And with the immediate aid, nothing has happened yet. We consider this a scandal," the CSU leader said after a meeting of the Bavarian cabinet in Kloster Weltenburg near Kelheim.
"When the flood happened, federal ministers couldn't get there fast enough. They were practically standing on the feet of us and the helpers," said Söder, naming Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Culture State Minister Claudia Roth (Greens), and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). All had promised help, but nothing has arrived yet. "Promises were made that were not kept."
For Bavaria, the situation is doubly difficult, Söder emphasized. On the one hand, the Free State pays up to a billion for the help of others - like in the case of the Ahr Valley flood - "we're happy to do that," but on the other hand, Bavaria is being completely left alone.
The argument that the Bavarian June flood was not of national magnitude does not hold water, said Söder. There is no difference here. Therefore, it is not acceptable to "shirk help" and to "at least shamefully" refer to a European aid fund.
Bavaria will continue to put pressure on and, of course, things will have to be changed if there is ever a new government. This also applies to the other aid funds through a change in the law, "because I am not prepared for solidarity to apply to everyone, just not to Bavaria."
The SPD, being a part of the federal government, has been referred to by Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder in his criticism of the government's response to the flood damage. Söder mentioned Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who is also from the SPD, in his critique of unfulfilled promises of aid.
