Saturday, May 2, 2020

Marc Bernhard, April 23, 2020, Relief of Home Heating Costs

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]