The planned cuts are intended to prevent electricity prices from soaring.

“I’llfight for an agreement on the electricity price brake as long as the GermanBundestag [the lower house of parliament] is working,” he said on the sidelinesof the Hannover Messe industrial fair. “Everything else is being negotiatedright now with the states and I’m unable to give a forecast on that [itsoutcome].”

Germany’sfederal