Business-friendly camp of Merkel’s CDU warns of exaggerated financial coal exit demands

The business-friendly camp of Angela Merkel’s Conservatives (CDU) has warned the coal phase-out might result in a heavy burden on taxpayers, reports newswire dpa. “The proposals must remain within the clearly delineated budget framework,” said Joachim Pfeiffer, economic spokesperson of the CDU parliamentary group. “There are tendencies within the commission to agree on compromises at the expense of third parties – taxpayers and power consumers who are not represented.” The government coalition has so far agreed to support the transition in affected regions with 1.5 billion euros, while Eastern German coal mining states are calling for a 60-billion-euro fund for the coming 30 years.

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the articles German government plans to postpone deadline for coal commission and Commission watch – Managing Germany’s coal phase-out.