Schwerin (dpa/mv) - According to Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will support a Federal Council initiative in Bremen for the temporary levying of an excess profit tax. The siphoning off of additional profits, which are achieved through crises in the energy sector, for example, should be used to relieve citizens of high energy costs. "There are also other proposals, such as a price cap. The state government is open to this discussion," said Schwesig on Thursday in Schwerin before the meeting of the state chamber in Berlin planned for Friday.
It is important that the federal government takes measures "to prevent speculation in the energy sector, which would allow corporations to earn a lot of money while at the same time the citizens would have to bear the burden." The fuel discounts that have been in effect since the beginning of the month have so far failed to have any effect.
Schwesig expressed his delight at the increase in the statutory minimum wage to 12 euros, which will be voted on in the Bundesrat on Friday. "Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania clearly says yes," she emphasized. Workers in the East in particular, and women in particular, would benefit from this.
The initial concerns about the introduction of a wage floor have not been confirmed. "It turned out that the minimum wage is good for employees, but also for the economy," said Schwesig. She also welcomed the pension increase that was also being voted on in the Federal Council. At 5.35 percent in the west and 6.12 percent in the east, this is respectable. But she also knows about the concern of many pensioners that the increase will be eaten up again by drastically increased prices for energy and food.
According to the government spokesman, the red-red state government will abstain from the vote on increasing federal defense spending. Unlike the SPD, the Left Party, as a junior partner, rejects the intended amendment to the Basic Law to create a special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr. According to the coalition agreement, the country abstains from voting if both government partners disagree.
