Two euros as a guide
Lindner sees a high chance for a tank discount
03/15/2022, 00:51
With his consideration of subsidizing fuel consumption, FDP leader Lindner met with little approval from the coalition partners. Nevertheless, the Federal Minister of Finance is hopeful that he will be able to push through the petrol station discount. He also sees opportunities for state intervention in heating oil.
Despite criticism, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner is optimistic that the traffic light coalition will agree to his proposal for a tank subsidy. The FDP leader said on Monday evening in the ZDF “heute journal” when asked how high the chances were that he would get through this in the end, even against the Greens: “High”. Lindner went on to say about a tank subsidy: “We should be guided by the two euro mark, that should be the point of reference when this measure begins.”
One must not leave the families, the commuters and the traders alone with the sharply rising prices. “This is not the only relief measure we need, but it is an important and urgent one.” A “fixed crisis discount” could be 30 or 40 cents, said Lindner. He spoke of a temporary measure. It’s not about the fact that the individual fuel receipt is billed, but the mineral oil companies would submit the total amount of fuel to the state. “The state would then interact at the level, not at the level of the individual fuel receipt.”
In the ARD “Tagesthemen” Lindner said it was about organizing noticeable relief very quickly. Regarding the Greens’ proposal for energy money, he said he would welcome energy money. However, this requires complicated legislation and takes longer. The “fuel price brake” demanded by the Union could only make diesel cheaper by 14 cents per liter. As the ADAC announced on Monday, Super E10 cost 2.199 euros per liter on a nationwide daily average on Sunday. Diesel cost 2.305 euros per liter.
Green leader Ricarda Lang had said on the tank subsidy and with a view to relief that there were various proposals. “That’s a good thing. It would only be good if the suggestions made sense.” The relief should not only start with the price of petrol, gas and food prices are also a burden for many people. It also needs a social orientation, and measures must work to save energy and make it more efficient.
Lindner continued in the “Tagesthemen”: “I think we can still do something with heating oil.” In the longer term, however, rising world market prices cannot be subsidized with tax money in the long term. The point is to open up other sources of energy for Germany and to expand renewable energies. “And we also have to re-examine certain provisions of the traffic light coalition agreement.” Lindner mentioned the question of the production of oil and gas in the North Sea, the use of energy obtained from coal and also whether nuclear energy could still play a role in the transition.