Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Prime Minister, Manuela Schwesig (SPD), welcomed the final cancellation of the relief subsidy, while simultaneously pressing the federal government for a comprehensive “relief package”. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, she noted, “It is good that the relief subsidy is off the table. It was not a viable instrument for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern”. She added that many businesses, including medium-sized enterprises, social institutions, and the public service, would have been unable to afford the cost.
Instead, Schwesig emphasized the necessity of a “real overall package”. Her demands include lower energy prices, palpable financial relief for small and middle-income earners, and “tax reform that deserves the name”. Furthermore, she stated that any impending social reforms must be structured to be both “compatible and fair”.
Shwesig also praised that the call for an overall package incorporating social partners has been acknowledged. Extending her demands to federal involvement, she insisted, “The Prime Ministers must also be involved. We need a special MPK [Minister-President Conference]. The federal states must bear the consequences, and they must be centrally involved in the decisions. I expect the Chancellor to move on this now”.