The municipalities in Lower Saxony are urging rapid support for municipal utilities and hospitals in the energy crisis. If the federal government does not deliver in this regard, the state must step into the breach - even before a new government is formed, said the President of the Lower Saxony Association of Cities (NST), Frank Klingebiel (CDU), on Tuesday in Hanover. Together with the Lower Saxony Association of Towns and Municipalities (NSGB) and the Lower Saxony District Association (NLT), the NST is calling for the state budget or the development bank NBank to provide liquidity support as well as sureties and guarantees for the municipal utilities.

The increased costs of the hospitals could not be borne by the municipalities alone, said Klingebiel. "The hospitals in Lower Saxony must be supported in the very short term by creating a protective shield for hospitals." Otherwise, several hospitals face bankruptcy.

The Lower Saxony state parliament will be re-elected on Sunday. The state government made up of SPD and CDU has so far referred to the federal government and the time after the election for aid programs in the energy crisis.

On Tuesday, the federal and state governments will discuss the energy crisis in a round with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Prime Minister.