Representatives from the Union and the SPD are divided over how to extract excess profits from the petroleum industry as a response to rising gasoline and oil prices.
Andreas Lenz, the Union’s economic‑policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, told newspapers of the Mediengruppe Bayern that any tax intervention must be well‑grounded and legally sound. “A surplus‑profit tax may sound politically convenient, but it is economically and legally demanding and raises significant delimitation questions” he said. He also warned that the situation should not be exploited by corporate actors, adding that the state and competition authorities must closely monitor market developments and intervene when necessary.
Sebastian Roloff, the SPD’s economic‑policy spokesperson, advocated a levy on so‑called “surplus profits” earned during the crisis. “It must not happen that a few large petroleum conglomerates profit from a crisis situation while consumer relief fails to reach the public” he said. Roloff argued that war‑related extra gains or abusively earned special profits should be captured. “In the energy‑price crisis after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we already had good experience with such a surplus tax” he added.
