Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner asked the federal states before the consultations on financing the planned relief to make their contribution to overcoming the crisis.

“You have to help each other.

But it is also not possible, if I may say so in all politeness, that the federal states simply implement coalition projects and achieve budget surpluses – and the federal government is in the deep red and has to do crisis management, ”said the FDP politician on ZDF on Tuesday - "Morning magazine".

"I think the citizens expect all levels of government to do their part to ensure that our country gets through these times without major damage."

During the consultations between the prime ministers and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the afternoon, the focus will be on the design of the planned gas price brake, the financing of various other relief measures and the distribution of the costs of the sharp increase in the number of refugees.

Lindner slowed down in view of the desire of the federal states that the federal government give them additional billions to cover the refugee costs.

“There are tasks that are taken over by the federal states according to the Basic Law, such as the question of how refugees are accommodated, the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.

Here you have to remember that there is this division between the federal and state governments," he said.

He again campaigned for a reduction in the cold progression in taxation.

This is an effect in which the automatic tax increase with wage increases means that in times of inflation, the bottom line is that the citizens have less money.

"Here I hope for a very quick agreement of the state levels," said Lindner.

Wust dampens expectations

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst dampened expectations before the meeting of the federal and state governments on the financing of crisis measures.

You have to talk about the 19 billion euros that the federal government is demanding from the federal states as a contribution to a relief package, said the CDU politician on Tuesday morning on Deutschlandfunk.

With a reference to the additional costs that are foreseeable for the federal states, he emphasized the limited financial leeway of the states.

He cited heating costs as an example.

"It can't be right that we're already considering closing facilities, especially for children and young people - whether daycare centers, schools, universities, vocational schools - because we can't afford the heating costs." Such closures would come for him out of the question, but you need “the means to be able to act on your own responsibility”.

The Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) meanwhile called on the federal government to present a specification of the planned relief package and further financial commitments at the federal-state meeting this Tuesday in Berlin.

The countries would continue to work constructively to combat the energy crisis, Rhein told the "RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland" (Tuesday).

At the same time, the federal government must continue to support the states financially: "The 200 billion umbrella cannot mean that the states are left out in the rain," emphasized the Prime Minister.

The Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) called for a solidarity between the federal and state governments.