Shadow cabinet members from the opposition parties are sharply criticizing the coalition agreement reached by the governing Social Democrats (SPD), Christian Democrats (CDU) and Greens (Grüne), particularly regarding the lack of immediate relief for consumers facing rising electricity costs.
Ines Schwerdtner, leader of the Left party (Die Linke), expressed disappointment on Thursday, stating that the government had failed to deliver on a key promise made in the coalition agreement: relief from the electricity tax for consumers. She noted that despite a lengthy negotiation process, measures to alleviate the financial burden will be delayed until “financial space” becomes available – a timeframe she deems unacceptable. Schwertner questioned the government’s priorities, pointing to the allocation of 500 billion euros in special funds solely to the military budget, arguing that a modest reduction in the electricity tax – estimated at around 100 euros per household annually – would have provided tangible support to families.
Andreas Audretsch, deputy chairman of the Green party’s parliamentary group, echoed these concerns, labeling the agreement a “clear breach of promise”. He highlighted the coalition’s failure to reach any concrete decisions during a five-hour meeting, characterizing it as another instance of broken trust from Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. Audretsch further criticized the government’s fiscal policy, pointing to 143 billion euros in new debt and the alleged misallocation of funds previously earmarked for climate protection into gas projects. He argued that these actions undermine the government’s ability to provide relief to citizens.
Audretsch also addressed the issue of the proposed increase to the “Mütterrente” (maternal pension), initiated by CSU leader Markus Söder. While not fundamentally opposed to the reform, Audretsch cautioned against presenting it as mutually exclusive with measures to reduce the electricity tax, emphasizing that both priorities can be addressed without compromising one another.
