Erfurt (dpa/th) - FDP parliamentary group leader Thomas Kemmerich does not rule out support for the protective shield for public utilities proposed by Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left). However, as with help for private households that can no longer pay their high energy bills, the prerequisites are emergencies through no fault of their own, said Kemmerich on Tuesday in the summer interview by MDR Thuringia in Erfurt.
Ramelow had suggested supporting the public utilities with state guarantees, among other things, so that they would not get into financial difficulties given the high purchase prices for energy. However, he sees the federal government as primarily responsible.
Kemmerich also referred to the responsibility of the federal government in relieving the burden on citizens and the economy. However, if gaps should open up, the country is also asked. After all, it has always been able to build up financial reserves in the past because less money than planned was spent.
The FDP chairman, who also heads the group of liberals in the state parliament, called for the existing nuclear power plants in Germany to be extended and for the use of domestic shale gas deposits to be used. Importing such gas instead of using one's own deposits is inconsistent. The FDP has four members in the state parliament.
