Some space for more support?

Around February 20 the government will launch the Market Pass platform for the food purchase allowance, while the low international rates of natural gas may give the government some fiscal room for another pre-election handout, as the electricity rate subsidy will be reduced.

The price of natural gas has reached pre-war levels at 75 euros per megawatt-hour, while the budget has been drawn up assuming a price of €120/MWh. However, as officials at the Finance Ministry point out, it will be necessary to have this rate maintained for a long time in order for it to be translated into a reduction in the tariff subsidy. 

If that proves to be the case, part of the budget's €1 billion reserve, earmarked to support household and business electricity tariffs, will potentially be released.

For now, however, the same sources point out that the reserve will be used to pay...