Gas allocation on the brink

Berlin According to Handelsblatt information, the controversial gas levy to support large gas importers is on the brink. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) now has “doubts about the financial constitution,” according to government circles. The background is a possible nationalization of the ailing gas supplier Uniper.

Accordingly, Habeck is said to have indicated that the financing requirements for the gas suppliers are significantly higher than when the first rescue package for Uniper was negotiated. It is becoming increasingly clear that the unstable situation requires “the power and the guarantee of the state as well as all the financial strength of the state” that is necessary, according to government circles. However, once all gas suppliers – in addition to Uniper, Sefe and VNG – are nationalized, the question arises as to what sense a gas surcharge still makes, it was said.