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German states threaten to block €9 ticket in Bundesrat

Germany's cut-price transport ticket is supposed to go on sale next Monday - but a battle over financing is threatening to torpedo the government's plans.

A ticket machine on a Munich bus
A ticket machine on a Munich bus. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sven Hoppe

An feud between the federal and state governments intensified on Monday as state leaders threatened to block the government’s most recent energy package when it is put to a vote in the Bundesrat on Friday. 

The battle relates to the government’s plans for a budget transport ticket that would allow people to travel on local and regional transport around Germany for just €9 per month.

Though the 16 states have agreed to support the ticket, transport ministers are arguing that the low-cost option will blow a hole in their budgets and lead to potential price hikes once autumn rolls around.

They claim that current funding promised by the Federal Transport Ministry doesn’t go far enough.

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“If the federal government believes it can be applauded on the backs of the states for a three-month consolation prize and that others should foot the bill, then it has made a huge mistake,” Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) told Bild on Monday.

The government has pledged €2.5 billion to the states to pay for the measure, as well as financial support for income lost during the Covid crisis. 

Transport Minister Volker Wissing. of the Free Democrats (FDP), said states would also receive the revenue of the €9 ticket from customers who take advantage of the offer. 

“For this ‘9 for 90 ticket’, the €2.5 billion is a complete assumption of the costs by the federal government,” said Wissing on Thursday. “In addition, the states are also allowed to keep the €9 from the ticket price, so they are very well funded here.”

Transport Minister Volker Wissing

Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) speaks ahead of a G7 summit in Düsseldorf.

However, federal states want a further €1.5 billion in order to increase staff, deal with extra fuel costs and to plan for the expansion of local transport in Germany.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Reinhard Meyer (SPD), told Bild that there would be “no approval (on Friday) as long as the federal government does not provide additional funds.”

Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) also warned that “the entire package of fuel rebate and €9 euro ticket could fail in the Bundesrat” if the government doesn’t agree to the state’s demands on funding.

The Bundesrat is Germany’s upper house of parliament, which is comprised of MPs serving in the state governments. Unlike in the Bundestag, where the traffic-light coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) has a majority, the CDU is the largest party in the Bundesrat. 

What is the €9 ticket?

The €9 monthly ticket was announced early this year as part of a package of energy relief measures for struggling households.

With the price of fuel rising dramatically amid supply bottlenecks and the war in Ukraine, the traffic-light coalition is hoping to encourage people to switch to public transport over summer instead. 

The ticket will run for three months from the start of June to the end of August, and will allow people to travel nationwide on local and regional transport. Long-distance trains like IC, EC and ICE trains will not be covered by the ticket. 

It should be available to purchase from May 23rd, primarily via ticket offices and the DB app and website. 

Some regional operators, including Berlin-Brandenburg’s VBB, have also pledged to offer the ticket at ticket machines.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to get hold of the €9 travel ticket in Berlin

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POLITICS

KEY POINTS: What to know about Germany’s partial legalisation of cannabis

Cannabis is to be partially freed for consumption in Germany starting April 1st. Why is this such a landmark legal reform, and what new rules and restrictions are in place?

KEY POINTS: What to know about Germany’s partial legalisation of cannabis

Why is this a historic moment?

The law decriminalises cannabis and legally recognises it as a non-narcotic. Germany will become the third European country, after Malta and Luxembourg, to legalise adult recreational use. And the law makes it one of the most liberal among developed economies. 

READ ALSO: Germany gives green light to partially legalise cannabis from April

Only Canada, whose law allows individuals to buy from licensed retailers and carry up to 30 grams of cannabis, is more permissive.  

The cannabis bill also lowers the barrier for doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients. It will now be considered a normal prescription instead of a narcotic. Previously patients needed to have a chronic illness or be seriously ill to get a prescription. 

What is the timeline for legalisation?

Beginning April 1st, adults will be allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis for recreational use. They can also keep up to 50 grams of marijuana at home and grow up to three plants for personal use. Note that is three plants per person, not per household. 

On July 1st, adults can begin joining “cannabis social clubs” where they can receive monthly allotments of marijuana. And in the future, the bill lays out a plan to test out municipal five-year pilot programs for state-controlled cannabis to be sold in licensed shops. 

Can cannabis be purchased in Germany after April 1st?

There is no way to buy cannabis directly, as it won’t be available for general purchase in a store. Instead, you can grow the plant yourself or join a cannabis club this summer. The cannabis clubs can begin growing cannabis on July 1st. 

What will cannabis clubs do?

Cannabis clubs can have up to 500 members. Clubs can give members 25 grams of cannabis per day and up to 50 grams of the plant per month. For members under 22 years old, clubs can allot up to 30 grams of cannabis per month. 

For cultivation club members between 18 and 21-year-olds the level of THC -the substance in cannabis that gives you the “high” – will be limited to help minimise the impact of marijuana use on developing brains. 

Cannabis in Dresden

Martin Reuter, head of the Sanaleo shop for CBD products in Dresden’s Neustadt, holds a cannabis flower for sale in his hands. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Robert Michael

Clubs cannot sell weed to their members, but they are allowed to charge membership fees. Under the law, all excess production must be destroyed. 

Cannabis social clubs can set their own requirements for membership so long as the minimum age of membership is 18 and members can prove German residency. The law also gives states the ability to limit the number of clubs according to population density. 

Can you consume cannabis in public?

Yes, but there are some parameters. You cannot consume weed within 100 metres of schools, sports facilities or around minors. You can also only smoke cannabis in public between the hours of 8pm and 7am. 

How does the public feel about the law?

Germans remain divided on the new legislation with 47 percent in favour of the plans and 42 percent against the legalisation, according to a YouGov poll published on Friday March 22nd.

The law was also met with sharp criticism from doctors, legal professionals and representatives from some of the nation’s 16 federal states. The conservative CDU and CSU parties expressed consistent opposition to the bill on the Bundestag floor. 

READ ALSO: Why is Germany’s cannabis draft law so controversial?

What happens if you break the rules?

Minors who are caught consuming cannabis will be required to take part in prevention programmes. It is unclear what rules will apply to cannabis in road traffic, shipping and air traffic because it is still under review by expert committees.  

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