Erfurt (dpa/th) - Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) has spoken out in favor of even greater intervention in the energy market in response to the planned nationalization of the gas importer Uniper. The gas price could be regulated by the state if other gas suppliers also came into state hands - possibly in a transitional period, Ramelow said on Wednesday in the state parliament in Erfurt. The left-wing politician also advocated market intervention in fuel prices.
"Prices have skyrocketed, far outpacing crude oil prices." If the resulting excess profits of the fuel companies were no longer allowed, the citizens would no longer need relief in this area, said Ramelow. The state would have to ensure that market prices no longer lead to immense excess profits.
Thuringia's head of government also reiterated his call for the electricity price to be quickly decoupled from the gas price. If there is a high proportion of cheap green electricity in the grid, this should be noticeable in the price for consumers. According to the current rules on the electricity market, the most expensive producer - these are currently gas-fired power plants - determines the electricity price.
The CDU parliamentary group and the state parliament groups of the FDP and citizens for Thuringia also demanded aid programs for citizens and business from the state - in addition to the federal government's relief package. "East Germany is hit harder by the energy crisis than West Germany. That has to do with the economic structure," said CDU faction leader Mario Voigt. The AfD parliamentary group accused the federal government of incompetence.
