The SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said that, given the sharp rise in fuel prices caused by the conflict in Iran, he will look toward measures taken in Luxembourg. “We should first examine what Luxembourg is doing and set price caps” he told the ntv programme “Pinar Atalay” on Monday, warning that politicians are “drinking in this price‑gouging wave”.
He also described the situation as a “mad scamming” and noted that many European countries “don’t see the same price jumps as we do in Germany”. He added that any tax cuts are not on the agenda for the moment.
Klingbeil accused oil companies of exploiting the crisis, saying it is increasingly clear that firms are trying to profit from the war situation. He called for tougher competition law and re‑instated an over‑profit tax. “I expect the European Commission to turn those tools back on” he said.
The revenue generated by such measures would be returned to citizens, either through a commuter allowance or through energy taxes, according to Klingbeil. “We must not allow multinational corporations to enrich themselves at the expense of commuters – it is disreputable”.
