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German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Photo/Reuters
“The Ukraine war has made us all poorer. For example, we have to pay more for energy imports,” Lindner said while speaking to the tabloid newspaper Bild, as reported by RT.com, Monday (4/4/2022).
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In an interview published on Sunday, the German minister further acknowledged that the government cannot compensate for the reduced welfare of the country’s people due to the Ukraine conflict. However, he added, the German government was working to contain a bigger shock.
Lindner admits, the current state of the national economy raises serious concerns, citing sluggish economic growth and rising prices of goods. However, Lindner assured the media that the government was doing all it could to avoid the threat of stagflation.
Lindner explained that among the steps Berlin is taking are aid for the middle class, support for economically vulnerable sections of society and at-risk businesses. However, he also explained that due to the limited financial resources of the state, all these programs were meant to be temporary.
“In the long term, Germany must lay the foundations of new prosperity,” Lindner warned. He also, added that special emphasis should be placed on social and ecological aspects.
When asked why Germany is still funding the Kremlin by importing Russian gas and oil, Lindner said ending Russia’s supply of hydrocarbons would have a dramatic effect on the country. Lindner stressed that the potential impact would go beyond money, but affect the physical availability of energy for Germany.
While supporting sanctions against Russia, he stressed at the same time punitive measures should “not jeopardize Germany’s stability.” Lindner also promised that no German would freeze next winter. According to him, Berlin has built up energy reserves and is utilizing alternative sources of supply.
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