"Like at the push of a button": Aiwanger expresses suspicion about oil companies - Ampel is now thinking of monthly transfers

Created: 03/20/2022, 19:01

By: Florian Naumann

Refueling and mobility: Hubert Aiwanger in February at the MAN engine plant in Nuremberg.

© Daniel Löb/dpa/picture-alliance

When it comes to refueling, there is a major political alarm: The traffic light is developing new plans, but the FDP remains firm.

Aiwanger and the Greens express their suspicions about oil companies.

Saarbrücken/Munich - The sharp rise in fuel prices after the outbreak of the Ukraine war remains a hot topic in election campaigns - at home and abroad.

Bavaria's Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) tackled the oil companies in the current election campaign hotspot of Saarland on Sunday.

Apparently he suspects at least some collusion behind the high prices per liter.

The traffic light coalition is still struggling to find a solution under high pressure.

A relief based on income is planned, as reported by

: According to an idea from Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD), a “mobility allowance” could be transferred with the regular monthly salary.

But despite headwinds from the SPD and the Greens, the FDP still does not want to give up the demand for a tank discount: Finance Minister Christian Lindner's initiative is "by no means off the table," said Liberal parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr on Sunday.

Fuel prices and tank Zoff: Aiwanger expresses suspicion against oil companies - also suspect Greens

Aiwanger, however, emphasized another aspect.

"It has always been observed how punctually at the beginning of the holiday the prices were increased in turn at the various gas stations as if at the push of a button," he said on Sunday at a meeting of the Free Voters Board in Saarbrücken.

"Instead of competition, the system of joint price increases also works at the gas stations." In a week the state parliament will be elected in Saarland, and Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) has already spoken out with a controversial video on the subject of refueling.

With the massive gas price increases of the last few weeks, the companies have "overstated the bow," said Aiwanger.

The "price shock" as a result of the war in Ukraine is leading "to distortions in our country's economic structure".

He is not alone with his thesis.

The Green MP Robin Wagener, for example, said on Thursday in the Bundestag that the rising petrol prices are primarily “a case for the cartel office” in view of the falling crude oil prices.

Bavaria's Vice Prime Minister called for "immediately a catalog of measures" from the traffic light coalition.

In doing so, he only partially deviated from the hard-debated ideas of Lindner.

Targeted, higher taxes on crisis profits from oil companies are needed, said Aiwanger, for example.

However, he also called for relief for consumers, for example by reducing mineral oil tax, CO2 tax and value added tax.

Refueling in Germany: traffic light idea leaked – 20 to 50 euros with the salary?

But the traffic light plans also seem to have made good progress.

According to the

report, one possibility is : Anyone who earns up to 2,000 euros gets 50 euros.

With a salary of 2001 to 3000 euros there could be 35 euros, with earnings of 3001 to 4000 euros 20 euros.

This would therefore cost the state one billion euros per month.

The mobility premium could be paid out for at least three months, so top earners would get nothing.

also read

Aiwanger: Corporations must disclose fuel price structures

Bavaria's Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) calls for oil companies to be obliged to disclose the structure of their fuel prices.

"It has always been observed how punctually at the beginning of the holiday the prices were increased in turn at the various gas stations as if at the push of a button," said Aiwanger on Sunday at the meeting of his party's federal executive board in Saarbrücken.

Aiwanger: Corporations must disclose fuel price structures

Finance Minister Lindner is promising a higher commuter allowance

Filling up is getting more and more expensive.

The development hits commuters, who depend on cars, particularly hard.

But now there could be relief.

Finance Minister Lindner is promising a higher commuter allowance

The FDP does not seem to like the ideas from the Ministry of Labor: The coalition will “continue to discuss relief next week,” said Dürr.

All models are still in play.

It is important to quickly relieve those who are dependent on the car.

"The tank discount would support people with low and medium incomes directly at the checkout," says Dürr.

Linder's tank discount in the crossfire: Merz shoots against the FDP idea - an expert tears up the proposal

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) also called on Lindner to abandon his tank discount idea and instead immediately reduce taxes on petrol and diesel.

“Reduce the energy tax and the sales tax on diesel and petrol from 19 to seven percent.

That would be unbureaucratic, quick and good help for everyone," Merz told the Berlin

.

He warned of the high deadweight effects for the oil companies and refineries if the state reimbursed a flat rate per liter.

However, according to Lindner, EU law prohibits a reduction in VAT on fuel.

The economics professor and ifo expert Andreas Peichl also sharply reprimanded Lindner's idea in a guest article on the tank discount for

* at the weekend.

Wealthier households in particular would benefit from the discount.

In addition, the following applies: “Without rising prices, there is no pressure to adapt.” According to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW), families with low monthly incomes spend four percent more on electricity, heating and fuel.

High-earning singles pay only 2.2 percent more.

Gasoline prices are rising in the Ukraine conflict: France is also debating a discount

Lindner had repeatedly defended his plans for a discount with reference to other European countries.

In fact, fuel prices remain an issue in France's presidential election campaign: the left-wing presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon promised the French lower prices for petrol if the election was successful.

"I will cap fuel prices," Mélenchon said in a speech to thousands of supporters in Paris.

In addition, as President, he will make public transport free of charge as long as the current crisis of high energy prices continues.

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is now traveling to Qatar - and came back with "great news" in terms of energy supply.

Some voices hope for energy supplies from the emirate to relieve the burden.

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