Scholz: "Very low" additional burdens for citizens

Household cleaning - Scholz: "Very low" additional burdens for citizens

Following the coalition agreement in the budget dispute, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has defended the additional burdens for citizens, for example in electricity, gas and petrol prices. "We have very different calculations. And when it comes to petrol prices, for example, these are very small additional burdens," said Scholz in the ARD program "Farbe bekennen". He emphasized that the tax relief of 15 billion euros agreed by the traffic light coalition would remain in place. "That's where it stays. And that affects small and medium-sized incomes."

After days of negotiations, Scholz reached a compromise on the 2024 federal budget with his Finance Minister Christian Lindner(FDP) and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) on Wednesday night. Among other things, the plan is to increase the CO2 price, which will have an impact on petrol and gas prices. The removal of the subsidy for grid fees is likely to lead to higher electricity prices.

"Failed macker gesture"

Scholz rejected CDU leader Friedrich Merz 's call for a vote of confidence in the Bundestag. "There is no reason to do that at the moment," said Scholz. The federal government has a stable majority and is passing its laws. "Perhaps Mr Merz would like that to be different. And that's why he's whistling loudly in the forest. But to be honest: That's actually more - how should I put it - a somewhat unsuccessful macker gesture."

Merz had called on Scholz in the Bundestag on Wednesday to put the complete legislative package from the federal-state agreement on migration policy to a vote in the Bundestag in January and to link it to a vote of confidence. This would link Scholz's political fate to this issue. Previously, the "traffic light" coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP had postponed the adoption of two laws on migration policy until January because they had not yet been able to agree on all the details.

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1. Olaf Scholz, as part of the traffic light coalition with the Greens and FDP, serves as Germany's Federal Chancellor.
2. In the householder budget, Scholz mentioned minimal additional burdens for citizens in areas like electricity, gas, and fuel prices.
3. Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, demanded a Bundestag vote of confidence from Scholz, but Scholz refused, citing a stable majority and passing legislation.
4. The FDP, one of Scholz's coalition partners, agreed on the 2024 federal budget with the Greens and Scholz's SPD, which includes increasing the CO2 price and potentially higher energy prices.
5. Merz suggested linking Scholz's fate to a vote on the federal-state agreement on migration policy, but the traffic light coalition had delayed implementing the related laws until January, citing ongoing discussions.
6. Scholz criticized Merz's actions as a "somewhat unsuccessful macker gesture," a German idiom meaning to make a grand show in a futile attempt to gain attention.
7. In defending the coalition's policies, Scholz emphasized that the agreed-upon tax relief of 15 billion euros would continue and primarily benefit small and medium-sized incomes.
8. The ARD program "Farbe bekennen" hosted discussions on household cleaning, which Scholz mentioned as having limited impact on citizens, and other budget-related topics.

Source: www.stern.de