Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) said the planned rule that petrol stations may raise their prices only once a day will be applied for at least a year. Speaking to the “Berlin Playbook” podcast by Politico on the Friday issue, she explained that the regulation is necessary “during the crisis, during the Iran war” and added that “I anticipate we will have it in place for at least a year”.
Hubig also believes the measure will remain useful beyond the present crisis. She described it as “a good instrument” and noted that Austria has already extended the same rule until 2028.
The goal of the new regulation is to provide greater predictability and transparency for consumers. By limiting daily price changes, shoppers would have the freedom to decide whether to refuel early or later, giving them a better opportunity to compare prices.
Implementation will be handled by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). Hubig said the team is working “with high speed” on the rollout.
The SPD‑politician rejected the petrol‑discount scheme that the coalition introduced in summer 2022, calling it “very expensive for the state and taxpayers”. She also warned that there was never any certainty that the discount was fully passed on to consumers.
