Rehberg advocates for adjustments in COVID-19 relief measures
Berlin, Germany - Eckhardt Rehberg, the Union's budget expert, has called for a change in the economic approach to Corona bridging aid, citing overcompensation concerns. In an interview with the "Passauer Neue Presse," Rehberg expressed his view that the current aid, which pays out 75% of 2019 turnover, results in lavish profits for some businesses and cannot continue as it stands.
The federal government has been spending around €15 billion per month on aid for November and December alone. Rehberg maintains that this spending cannot be sustained and that future aid should be limited to covering fixed costs and living expenses. He described this approach as more fair.
Rehberg criticized the designers of the November and December aid for not thinking the matter through thoroughly. He also stressed the need for the states to contribute more to the financing of the Corona aids. According to Rehberg, the federal government has shouldered all costs for the bridging aid during the pandemic up to the November and December aid, and the value-added tax reduction has resulted in a loss of €20 billion, again borne entirely by the federal government.
With these burdens accumulating, Rehberg stated that the future distribution of these costs must be fair, implying that the federal government cannot shoulder the entire burden indefinitely. Rehberg is a prominent figure within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) known for his financial expertise.
- Eckhardt Rehberg, a CDU budget expert, suggests a shift in the economic strategy for Corona bridging aid, advocating that future aid should focus on covering fixed costs and living expenses, instead of lavish profits observed in some businesses.
- The general-news narrative revolves around calls for shared financing of Corona aids, with Rehberg emphasizing the need for states to contribute more to the financing, as the federal government has borne the entire burden of the bridging aid costs during the pandemic, ultimately leading to a significant loss in revenue.
