Robert habeck, the telegenic economy minister of Germany’s newish coalition government, has become a darling of the German media. He has been called a “rock star” and mooted as the next chancellor. Now the media has turned on him over his plan to bail out some utilities with a natural-gas surcharge that could cost an average four-person household an extra €480 ($480) per year (plus value-added tax). The measure is just one part of a complex set of government interventions.
Listen to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.
Your browser does not support the <audio> element.
Listen to this story
Save
→ Continue reading at The Economist
