CDU Deputy Parliamentary Leader Sepp Müller is tempering expectations for comprehensive state relief for motorists amid the fuel price crisis. "Now we need honesty instead of empty promises," Müller told the "Welt" newspaper on Tuesday. "We cannot fully compensate for the price shock through tax funds." As long as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz continues, energy prices will remain high.
"The Union makes it clear: Every euro can only be spent once," Müller continued. New debt is not a solution, he added, as it burdens future generations and drives inflation. "This crisis cannot be subsidized away," the CDU politician emphasized.
The Union's priority is targeted relief particularly for low and middle-income earners, families and workers, Müller explained. The party also wants to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses. Over the weekend, he proposed reducing vehicle tax.
Müller jointly leads the Bundestag taskforce on the Iran war's impact on German prices together with SPD representative Armand Zorn. Zorn told the t-online portal he is advocating for a relative price cap "to set clear limits for the mineral oil corporations." A relative price cap is based on current global market prices. Zorn told t-online that relief measures could be financed through a windfall profits tax on already realized gains.
The SPD politician accused mineral oil corporations of exploiting their market power. "The price increases for petrol and diesel during Easter week were much stronger than the oil price would justify," he told t-online. This has also been the case over Easter in previous years. "So it is not only related to the Iran war, but mainly to the market power of the mineral oil corporations."
Gas stations have been allowed to raise fuel prices only once per day at noon since last Wednesday. Oil companies have made extensive use of this since then. On Tuesday at noon, the ADAC observed a price increase averaging nine cents per liter of diesel. "For the first time, the 2.50 euro per liter mark is also exceeded in the snapshot," the automobile club explained. For petrol, the price increase averaged 7.6 cents per liter, with prices averaging 2.235 euros.
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