“Merz is increasingly becoming the coalition’s Greetings August,” says Sahra Wagenknecht
BSW founder accuses the Chancellor of a lack of assertiveness when it comes to cutting electricity taxes
Quick Look
- Sahra Wagenknecht sharply criticizes Chancellor Friedrich Merz for not including the electricity tax cut agreed in the coalition agreement in the 2027 budget.
- She describes this as humiliation and an “electricity price rip-off”.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
In the coalition agreement, the Union and the SPD had agreed on an electricity tax cut for everyone, but this has so far only been implemented for certain sectors.
Sahra Wagenknecht attacks Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) for the lack of a reduction in electricity tax in the 2027 budget. "This is quite a humiliation for the Chancellor. Merz is increasingly becoming the coalition's Greetings August," the BSW founder told WELT. “Although announced everywhere, he can’t even get an electricity tax cut through.”
The so-called budget adjustment meeting of the Bundestag is planned for Thursday afternoon. The budget for 2027 should be decided there. The Union and the SPD actually agreed on an electricity tax cut of at least five cents per kilowatt hour for everyone in the coalition agreement, and Chancellor Merz only recently announced the prospect of this. So far it has only been implemented for the manufacturing industry as well as agriculture and forestry.
Wagenknecht sees a system behind the failure. “What Merz says doesn’t apply: Often that’s not a disadvantage, in this case it’s bitter for the citizens who would need every cent of energy price relief,” said the chairwoman of the BSW Basic Values Commission to WELT. More than half of the electricity price consists of taxes and duties, and this “electricity price rip-off” will continue in 2027.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Bundestag's budget adjustment meeting will take place on Thursday afternoon.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- How do the Union and the SPD justify the elimination of the electricity tax cut in the draft budget?
- Will there be any further amendments to the budget in the Bundestag?
