Can reportedly state at a meeting of the CDU parliamentary group that the Chancellor sees no way to direct aid to low-income households given the increased energy prices. According to the “Rheinische Post”, citing attendees, he reportedly told that, “It’s not possible; we don’t have the mechanism for that”. He added that while a direct payment mechanism exists through the Federal Office for Finances and Taxes, which belongs to the Federal Ministry of Finance, “they currently only have about one-fifth of the data for the private households that would qualify for it”. He stated that complete data coverage is necessary.
In connection with this, Merz reportedly criticized Monika Schnitzer, the chairwoman of the Economic Experts Council. Merz allegedly continued by saying that if the chairwoman of the expert council goes to the media “and accuses us that this is not targeted enough, then I have to say frankly that I expect the chairwoman of an expert council to know that such a tool is not available”. He concluded by criticizing her public commentary, saying, “This is an expert council for advising the federal government, not for constantly publicly instructing the federal government”.
