At a press conference held in Berlin on Friday 19 October, 2018, the prime ministers of three eastern German states (Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg) demanded EUR 60 billion in federal aid as compensation for stopping lignite production. The three states represent the poorest region in Germany, and local politicians say that without extra funds, the far-right parties will gain more political power. According to the local leaders, the economic interests of people facing unemployment should take precedence over environmental protection. The Saxony prime minister said that new jobs should be created before the discontinuation of coal production.
