Marc
Bernhard
Relief
of Home Heating Costs
German Bundestag, April 23, 2020, Plenarprotokoll
19/156, pp. 19355-19356
[Marc
Bernhard is an Alternative für Deutschland Bundestag member from the western
German state of Baden-Württemberg. He is an
information technology manager. He here responds to a draft law presented by
the government for the relief of home heating costs.]
Frau
President. Right honorable colleagues.
Chancellor
Merkel says the Corona crisis is the greatest challenge to our country since
the Second World War. According to the IMF, it is the worst economic crisis
since the Great Depression of the late 1920s. According to McKinsey’s
estimates, 59 million work positions are in danger in Europe. A never before
seen wave of insolvency threatens Germany.
Now
at last, the government must finally end its useless and anti-economic climate
hysteria and stop the introduction of the CO2 tax.
Anja Weisgerber (CSU-CSU): There is no CO2 tax! You know
that!
Poland
and the Czechs show how it’s done: They are using the crisis to relieve their
citizens by questioning these ostensibly world-saving yet ineffective measures.
Franciska Brantner (Greens): Haven’t
you noticed the drought outside?
And
what does the Federal government do? With irresponsible ways and means, it
adheres to its wrong-way climate policy and lays before us here a draft law
which, according to its own statements, will soften the harshness of its climate
package. Thus the government with its ideologically driven policy first dishes
up the damage and then grandiosely returns a small, ephemeral portion of the money
previously extorted from the citizens.
Ulli
Nissen (SPD): What nonsense!
Your
climate package will raise the price of residence in Germany beginning next
year by 14 billion euros. The tenants’ association [Mieterbund] thereby figures, even without the CO2 tax,
on an average cost increase for each household of 200 euros per month per resident.
Now, in consideration, the government wishes to supplement the housing
allowance [Wohngeld] of 660,000 low
income households with a one-time (to be sure), laughable 120 million euros. The
citizens themselves must pay the remaining 13.9 billion euros.
Anja Weisgerber (CDU-CSU): That is
not correct!
Thus,
foremost will be hit once again the hard working middle class. According to the
government’s estimates concerning the CO2 tax, 25,000 households, thus
more than 60,000 people, who hitherto have drawn no social benefits, will in
the future be directed to public support for residency. The government itself
thus admits that its policy is driving people into poverty. There, by way of
exception, are you right: These people, who previously themselves could pay for
their living expenses, will now by you be degraded to supplicants of public
support.
Ulli Nissen (SPD): There are no
supplicants! They have a claim!
Due
to your policy, we in Germany have the highest electricity prices – with the result
that each year 350,000 households have their electricity cut off.
Johann Saathoff (SPD): Distinctly
reduced!
Through
2025, each family of four will have paid 25,000 euros for your botched energy
transition. Your CO2 tax beginning next year will cost this family
of four an additional 1,000 euros, increasing to over 2,600 euros per year by
2026.
Johann Saathoff (SPD): Have you
figured that?
At
last, before the background of the present crisis, there must now finally be a
fundamental turnabout. The people of Germany can no longer bear your Green ideology,
anti-economic experiments.
Ulli Nissen (SPD): We cannot bear any
longer to listen to you!
[Translated by Todd Martin]
