(4 Sep 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin - 4 September 2022
1. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arriving at news conference
2. Cameras
3. Scholz speaking
4. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"Germany is standing together in a difficult time. We will get through this difficult time as a country. We have made all the decisions to make sure that our energy supply is secure, even though we are challenged by what Russia is doing. And we have made all the decisions that are necessary to make sure that we link arms, that no citizen is left alone."
5. Journalist taking notes
6. Wide of news conference
7. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"(President Vladimir) Putin's Russia has become in breach of contract and it has not fulfilled its supply contracts for a long time. Something that was always true in the Cold War no longer applies. Russia is no longer a reliable energy supplier. That is part of the new reality."
8. Scholz speaking
9. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"I am very aware that many citizens are very worried about their future, very worried about high prices of electricity and gas, about increased costs of living, all that I associate with the term inflation."
10. Scholz speaking
11. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"The third relief package we have now put together is larger in size than the first two put together. It is a big size that we have moved there. We are talking about 65 billion euros. If you add it all up, we are talking about 95 billion euros, if you include the first two relief packages."
12. Wide of Scholz speaking
13. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"And we will make sure that no such excessive profits can continue to be used by skimming them off in a way, as is the case with the EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) levy, only in reverse. And we will use the many, many, many billions that we raise in the process to relieve the burden on citizens with an electricity price brake that helps to ensure that citizens can also use a basic supply of electricity at cheaper prices."
14. Various of Scholz speaking
15. Wide of Green Party co-leader Omid Nouripour, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Scholz, and Saskia Esken, SPD party co-leader
STORYLINE:
Germany is to invest an additional 65 billion euros (dollars) in a new round of measures aimed at easing the sting of inflation and high energy prices for consumers.
“Germany stands together in a difficult time. As a country, we will get through this difficult time,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a news conference on Sunday.
He was joined by leaders from the Greens and the pro-business FDP, the two coalition partners of his center-left Social Democrats.
Among the measures announced Sunday are additional one-time payments to help consumers cover energy costs, a planned price cap on a basic amount of energy consumption for families and individuals, and a successor to the country's popular "9-euro ticket" for nationwide public transit.
Scholz said he's "very aware" many Germans are struggling to cope with the rising prices and that the government is prepared to help.
"We take these concerns very, very seriously," he said.
In addition to the previously announced one-off 300-euro payments for workers to help offset energy costs, the government plans to offer one-time payments for other groups.
Retirees will receive 300 euros, for example, while students will receive 200 euros.
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