Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – The black-green government factions have agreed with parts of the opposition on key points for Ukraine aid. The leaders of the CDU, Greens, SPD and FDP parliamentary groups said in a joint statement in Wiesbaden on Tuesday that the state could not absorb all the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. “But he can and must help those who cannot cope with the current crisis on their own.”
Extensive relief packages are already available at the federal level. “At state level, we will make our contribution to the financing and implementation of these packages,” announced Ines Claus (CDU), Mathias Wagner (Greens), Günter Rudolph (SPD) and René Rock (FDP). The four parliamentary groups want to jointly submit amendments to the state budget for 2023/24.
Specifically, a hardship fund to protect against energy blockages should include up to 30 million euros. In the same volume, loan assistance for smaller companies is planned together with the WI-Bank. According to the information provided, the planned aid program also includes a further 30 million euros to support clubs, associations, initiatives and projects in the areas of sport, culture, education, social affairs and the environment, which are facing major challenges due to rising energy prices.
In addition, according to the plans of the four parliamentary groups, there should be a moratorium on termination for tenants of public housing associations. In addition to the 2.2 million euros already promised for the food banks, 1.5 million euros are planned for strengthening consumer centers and debt counseling services, and three million euros for the spa and health resorts.