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Finance Minister Lindner
Photo: Christian Spicker / IMAGO
Is the fuel discount really effective?
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended the decision despite all doubts about its effectiveness.
Without the tax rebate, fuel prices would be "much higher," said the FDP politician on ARD and ZDF.
In the ZDF program "Berlin direkt" and in the ARD "Tagesthemen" Lindner defended himself against the impression that the tank discount was ineffective.
He pointed to higher world market prices, the strong dollar and shortages at refineries as factors in price formation.
"I have the impression that the debate is a bit emotionally charged," said Lindner on ZDF.
At the request of the FDP, the energy tax on petrol and diesel was reduced significantly on June 1 to relieve motorists.
But this was hardly noticeable at the pumps.
In principle, Lindner also approved of the initiative by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to tighten antitrust law.
The FDP leader continues to strictly reject an excess profit tax to skim off extra profits from the mineral oil companies, but for the coalition partners SPD and Greens the discussion about it is not over yet.
FDP faction leader Christian Dürr also welcomed Habeck's reform proposals and defended the tank discount.
He would have liked Habeck to make suggestions earlier, but things are going in the right direction.
Above all, one is away from the debate about an excess profit tax, which would affect completely different, innovative companies and damage Germany as a business location.
Antitrust law is the right instrument, said Dürr.
»And I am confident that we will find a solution.«
Habeck also received praise from SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil.
"The tank discount is for commuters, not for the oil multinationals," he told the Rheinische Post.
Green party leader Ricarda Lang admitted in the ARD "Report from Berlin" that the discount actually does not relieve the people, but the oil companies.
Nevertheless, her party is sticking to the tax reduction.
"We stand by compromises that we agreed together in the traffic light coalition." But it is clear: "We have no interest in watching the oil companies make big profits." The debate about other instruments such as an excess profit tax is not yet over.
Economics Minister Habeck had threatened the corporations with a crackdown at the weekend.
He wants to tighten antitrust law and, if necessary, also enable companies to be broken up.
In addition, it should be easier to siphon off illegal profits.
This is essentially a position paper from the Federal Ministry of Economics, which was first reported on Sunday by SPIEGEL.
as/dpa
