Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz hinted that large companies in difficulty as a result of the war in Ukraine could be helped in the model of pandemic subsidies.
In Germany, the government plans a rescue package for energy companies in financial difficulties. One to be saved would be Uniper, a subsidiary of the Finnish Fortum.
Rescue operations would be carried out as part of the German Energy Security Act.
Scholz justified helping the companies by saying that the pressure caused by the rise in gas prices for companies and consumers should be alleviated.
According to the information obtained by the Reuters news agency, the German state could, as a last resort, buy some of the troubled companies.
In the background, Russia’s decision to limit gas exports
Uniper has run into difficulties due to Russia’s limited gas exports to Europe. Uniper has said that it receives only 40 percent of the usual amount of gas from Russia.
Uniper is a subsidiary of Fortum, and the Finnish government owns half of Fortum.
A representative of the German Ministry of Economy said on Monday that Uniper still has credit in the bank.
The German government also helped the airline Lufthansa
In Germany, the government has previously decided to help the national airline that got into difficulties due to the corona pandemic.
Lufthansa was saved from bankruptcy with a support package of 9 billion euros.
According to Rueters’ sources, Uniper’s assistance is required according to Lufthansa’s model.