In a reversal, the CDU has taken back statements made by its chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, regarding a climate fund of 200 euros. A CDU spokesperson told the Welt newspaper that the revenue from the CO2 pricing will initially be used to reduce the electricity tax and network charges. This will lead to a relief of around five cents per kilowatt-hour in electricity prices. For a typical four-person household, this translates to an annual savings of around 200 euros.
This is a reversal of Merz’s statement in the TV duel with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Sunday evening, where he said that the CO2 pricing should lead to a monthly payment of 200 euros to those who have to pay the CO2 pricing. According to Merz, the government had already promised the citizens a climate fund. Merz’s words were understood as an announcement of a 200-euro climate fund.