The parliamentary faction on the left is criticizing the federal government’s plans to sell off a portion of its state shares in the energy conglomerate Uniper. Speaking to the newspapers of the Funke-Mediengruppe, finance spokesman Christian Görke stated that there is no reason to rush this process.
Speaking out about the ongoing energy crisis, Görke noted that people are suffering under record-high energy prices, making a state-owned energy giant more crucial than ever to maintain robust control over the market. He highlighted that similar energy companies with high state involvement exist in other EU nations, arguing that this model helps to stabilize prices across those regions. Furthermore, Görke pointed out that Uniper is now once again generating profits, with 300 million euros expected to go into the federal budget soon.
He challenged the government’s premise, stating, “It cannot be that the state assumes the risks and losses only during crises, but the private sector takes over again when profits flow in”. Görke urged the federal government to reconsider its course of action. Instead of implementing the “currently legally questionable requirements” issued by the EU Commission, he argued the government should champion an approach that allows it to abandon the sale altogether. Moreover, he stressed that even within the framework of EU regulations, there is time until 2028, rendering the current haste unnecessary amid the ongoing crisis.
Amid the backdrop of the federal government considering the resale of Uniper-three and a half years after its nationalization-reports indicate that the federal government is exploring not only a direct sale but also an initial public offering (IPO), as evidenced by an advertisement published in the Financial Times on Tuesday.
