Markus Söder: The federal states reject renegotiations on the broadcasting fee

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The state leaders hope that, despite the coalition dispute in Magdeburg, there will still be approval from Saxony-Anhalt for the future broadcast contribution.

All states agree that they hope for a "good decision", said Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) after a meeting of the heads of government of the federal and state levels on Wednesday.

At the same time he emphasized that the federal states do not see any need to renegotiate the level of the broadcasting fee again.

In Saxony-Anhalt, the CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament, based on proposals from the state chancellery, brought the renegotiations into play and referred to the corona pandemic.

Söder emphasized: Renegotiating or renegotiating the State Treaty was "not sensible from our point of view".

Public broadcasters are otherwise almost forced to go to Karlsruhe and sue without a decision.

"In this respect, you can't negotiate endlessly," emphasized Söder.

During the pandemic in particular, one experienced how important and systemically relevant the media and the public service media are.

The first increase in the radio license fee since 2009 is "not so generous" and is justifiable.

The plan is for the broadcasting fee to rise from January 1, 2021 from EUR 17.50 per month to EUR 18.36.

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Söder added: Regardless of the political situations in Saxony-Anhalt, about which he would not and may not say anything, it would be important "that at the end of the discussion you come to a positive decision in the discussion about broadcasting fees." In Saxony-Anhalt there is in the black -red-green coalition a deadlocked dispute over whether the broadcasting fee should be increased.

The CDU is against it - the SPD and the Greens are in favor.

With the AfD in the opposition, the Christian Democrats could tip the increase in the state parliament in Magdeburg - this would mean that the adjustment would be canceled in all federal states.

It needs the approval of all federal states on the matter; if it is no, the entire project will collapse.

Saxony-Anhalt is the only state that is considered a shaky candidate.

The radio license fee is the main source of income for ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio.

In the next week, the media committee in the state parliament in Magdeburg could make a decision that would be groundbreaking for the vote in the state parliament in the middle of the month.

Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) emphasized after the meeting that he thought “that we are actually now realizing what we have on public broadcasting.

And that the money well spent is also for public broadcasting. ”Berlin has agreed to the state treaty with the premium increase“ out of full conviction ”.

There is "nothing to correct from our side either."