Mayor in “early start”
Giffey expects a repeat election in Berlin in February
10/07/2022 09:41 am
Berlin is preparing for a repeat of the House of Representatives elections. The Governing Mayor wants to take responsibility for this and assures that everything will run “smoothly”.
With regard to possible new elections in the capital, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey has emphasized that preparations are being made for every scenario – including that of a repeat election. “I can only say: It is my responsibility for the future and I will take it on with very good preparation for the next election, whatever it looks like,” said the SPD politician on ntv’s “Frühstart”. “There will be repeat elections and the responsibility is that we do everything we can to ensure that it goes smoothly.”
Giffey also referred to the final judgment on November 16th. If you then add 90 days, it would be mid-February 2023 for a possible new election. In this case, a “smooth process is secured”.
Asked who had to take responsibility for the election debacle in Berlin last year, Giffey said: “In a situation like this, you can’t assign full responsibility to a single person.” The shortcomings of the election were carefully examined and worked through: “We will take all of these tips, some of which have already happened, and incorporate them into the next preparations. This includes the new state election authority.”
“Gas price brake must encourage savings”
With a view to the ongoing design of the gas price brake, Giffey called for an incentive to save: “This proposal must be such that it also provides further incentives to save. It is absolutely clear: Relief is one thing, security of energy supply is another.” Giffey added that it is important for the gas price brake to ensure that “a certain consumption does not rise excessively.”
Giffey expects that the gas price brake could remain in force for “up to two or three years”. “This means that we will only have a regulated price again if there is availability, if we are independent of Russian gas. That will also take time.”
With a view to the volume of the aid package of 200 billion euros, Giffey said that she assumed that the entire amount would be needed. “It’s about the prosperity that has been earned not going down the drain and above all our companies and businesses must be saved from a wave of bankruptcies and bankruptcies prevented,” said Giffey, adding: “That means this money It has to be used and I think it is needed.”