The finance minister acts as if squaring the circle is possible

The political theater surrounding the gas levy is becoming more and more absurd. With Christian Lindner, the last traffic light supporter of the levy has now fallen over. But the FDP minister does not offer an alternative that would give unsettled citizens planning security for their energy costs. Instead, Lindner proposes the jack-of-all-trades of financial and energy policy: Instead of the gas levy, there should be a gas price brake, which, however, will be financed without suspending the debt brake. Lindner does not reveal how this is supposed to work.

One thing is clear: If the gas levy does not come, according to information from coalition circles, between 60 and 100 billion euros will probably be missing. Anyone who rules out tax increases and does not want gas customers to share in the costs through the surcharge will have to talk about suspending the debt brake. But before the Lower Saxony elections in two weeks, the Finance Minister is acting as if it were possible to square the circle in terms of financial policy.

Greens and liberals are staring at the polls in Lower Saxony like the famous rabbit at a snake. While some want to keep up the illusion for a further two weeks that one can get through the winter without the continued operation of at least two nuclear power plants, the finance minister is giving the keeper of the debt brake for a few more days. You will have to be honest. Until then, the voters are likely to feel pretty screwed.

Of course, a serious budgetary policy is essential. It is honorable not to lightly suspend the debt brake. But Germany is in one of the worst economic crises of the post-war period, and the debt brake provides for suspension for precisely such situations. Promises that cannot be kept do not help anyone. Coping with the energy crisis will cost a lot of money – and the taxpayers will ultimately have to foot the bill. To suggest that the gas levy can be dispensed with without incurring new debt or having to raise taxes is simply dishonest.

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