According to the leader of the opposition, Friedrich Merz, energy policy in Germany should be coordinated in the Chancellery.
“Energy policy belongs in an Energy Security Council of the Federal Chancellery.
It is properly coordinated there, also with the other departments, ”said the CDU party and Union faction leader on Tuesday in the ARD morning magazine.
Merz said he would take away responsibility for this from Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens).
Habeck has been criticized for the planned gas allocation.
The surcharge is intended to compensate for the sharp rise in costs for major importers due to the shortage of Russian gas supplies, in order to protect them from bankruptcy and the energy system from collapsing.
All gas customers should pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October.
It is criticized that companies that are doing well economically could also benefit.
The traffic light ministers are meeting in Meseberg on Tuesday and also want to talk there about the consequences of the Ukraine war on the security of energy supply in Germany.
In the morning magazine, Merz demanded that the mechanism whereby the gas price also dictated the electricity price for everyone had to be dissolved.
"It is incomprehensible that after six months of war gas is still being generated in Ukraine.
That should have been stopped a long time ago," said Merz.
“Push free riders off the footboard”
Habeck, in turn, has once again defended the planned gas levy, but at the same time promised changes.
You have to "push the free riders off the footboard," said Habeck shortly before the start of the federal government's cabinet meeting on Tuesday on "Deutschlandfunk".
According to the Green politician, there are a few things that can be done to prevent profitable companies from receiving the levy.
Only companies that are relevant to the gas supply in Germany should receive support.
The gas business must also have a relevant size within the company itself.
Habeck also pointed out that state-supported companies are not allowed to pay out bonuses or dividends.
In order to get support, all books would have to be disclosed.
That alone could be enough "to weed out these companies."
Habeck emphasized that the gas levy was not a mistake.
It is a necessary means of distributing the high prices "as fairly" as possible across Germany.
But there must be relief for the citizens.
These would come "soon".
The surcharge is intended to compensate for the sharp rise in costs for major importers due to the shortage of Russian gas supplies, in order to protect them from bankruptcy and the energy system from collapsing.
All gas customers should pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October.
It is criticized that companies that are doing well economically could also benefit.