After the announcement of the third relief package, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the urgent questions in the energy crisis on Sunday evening. An hour earlier, CDU leader Merz had criticized several gaps and warned of a power failure. FOCUS online accompanies the interview from 7.10 p.m. here in the live ticker.
7:21 p.m .: He’s always worried about the economy. He adds: “I’m worried about the citizens, that’s what worries me.” It is the government’s job to create the conditions “that we can get through,” said Scholz. “I am sure that Germany will get through this time as a democracy because we are a strong economic country and a welfare state.”
7:20 p.m .: Scholz does not want to give any specific information about how much money can be expected from skimming off excessive profits. That also depends on the development on the electricity markets, which can only be predicted to a limited extent. “If there are such random, large-scale excess profits, we have many, many billions to give back to the citizens.”
7:19 p.m .: Scholz says it’s about profits “that have nothing to do with what you actually do economically.” Those who have successfully operated wind turbines, solar systems, coal, hydroelectric or nuclear power plants for years produce at much lower costs than those who produce electricity with gas. “But the price of electricity is currently determined by these gas-fired power plants according to the European market design,” said Scholz.
7.18 p.m .: According to Scholz, the electricity price brake provided for in the third relief package should come into force as soon as possible. “We have to make a lot of decisions, enforce a lot of regulations for that to succeed. The first thing is that we skim off the chance profits that are now being made on the electricity market,” said Scholz.
7:17 p.m .: According to Scholz, there will be no “blackout”, as CDU boss Merz warned. “We have done everything to ensure that it does not come to that.” He was “very sure that we will be spared”
7.15 p.m .: “We are doing everything to ensure that no avalanche will roll towards people,” promises the Chancellor shortly after presenting the third relief package. Germany would store gas and ensure that other energies could be used. “That will help us get through this winter,” said Scholz.
7:14 p.m .: But can you afford this conversion at all given the difficult times? “Our measures will continue to invest and build,” says Scholz.
7.12 p.m .: The summer interview begins in the garden of the Federal Chancellery. But this garden will not be there for long, says Scholz at the beginning. The band of the federal government is to extend twice over the Spree – that has been planned for a long time.
Only an hour after the “summer interview” by opposition leader Friedrich Merz on ARD, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is addressing the urgent questions about energy shortages, price explosions and new relief. It was only on Sunday afternoon that Scholz, together with the leaders of the coalition parties, presented the largest traffic light relief package to date. Economists and the opposition have already called the government’s plans inadequate and disappointing. FOCUS online accompanies the Scholz interview with “Berlin direct” from 19.10 here in the live ticker.
