During a televised appearance, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) stated that, given the current energy crisis, he does not rule out the possibility of a budgetary emergency. He emphasized that “we must proceed cautiously; there is no other option in a crisis situation like this”.
Schneider described the crisis as a major shock to economic growth, noting that the federal government aims to limit its impact and, critically, to prevent rising unemployment.
When addressing demands from the aviation industry-specifically calls for kerosene fuel subsidies or a temporary suspension of emissions trading-Schneider firmly rejected these measures. He explained, “The state cannot financially solve all problems. Doing so would overstretch us”. Instead, the minister stressed that airlines must genuinely commit to the transition, rather than assuming the current situation with kerosene can continue indefinitely. He specifically noted that “there is still a lot of room here, even for Lufthansa”.
Schneider pointed to the Iran war as a stark lesson, emphasizing the urgent need to accelerate the development of renewable energies. He called this the clear governmental response to what he described as “the toughest energy crisis we have ever had”.
Finally, the SPD politician expressed skepticism about the feasibility of the energy transition reform plans put forward by Economic Minister Katherina Reiche. He reminded viewers that these are merely proposals and not yet laws. While acknowledging the necessity of affordability, he insisted that “the energy transition must be accelerated”.