SPD secretary general Kevin Kunert said in an interview with T-online, Kunert that: “There are warnings of a Yellow Vest movement like the one in France, that is, of people becoming radicalized because of rising prices and unjust policies. As a government, we ourselves have the best instrument to counter this: smart crisis management based on solidarity and a policy of social balance. That’s what we should be focusing all our efforts on now.”
With “smart crisis management,” Kunert means aid for lower-income layers of the population, which he says the government is taking care of. But he defended the new gas levy, which is aimed to bail out large energy providers, such as Uniper, which Kunert named.
He also felt the need to warn the Greens not to go too far with their advice on how to take a shower or how to heat their homes. Green Economics Minister Robert Habeck had said that you should take short, cold showers (which might also cut population down), while Baden-Württemberg’s state leader and Green Party member Winfried Kretschmann suggested the use of a washcloth, instead of showering.
“When some Green politicians say, for example, that the gas levy is necessary because otherwise there would be no incentive to save energy, this sounds cynical to the ears of all those who are currently experiencing a tripling of their energy prices. They have long felt this so-called incentive is more than enough. Such statements by politicians are technocratic and cause anger.
“Poorer people know how to save money in everyday life and how hard it is, and not just since Putin’s war,” Kunert said. “That’s why we in the SPD hold back on giving savings tips to the population. I find it strange when people with five-figure monthly incomes tell others how to save. They usually know much better.
“I don’t comment on how I shower. The comments from various politicians on this subject have triggered images in my head that I didn’t want to have.”
