Veronika Grimm, an economist who sits on Siemens Energy’s supervisory board, suggested that imposing a national speed limit could help calm the energy crisis. “It wouldn’t cause harm-and it might even send a clever signal that people should take the situation seriously” she told the ”Rheinische Post” on Friday.
Grimm pointed out that many countries in the Global South are already taking hard‑line steps, such as mandatory remote work and restrictions on vehicle use. “The more we consume, the worse the consequences eventually become for those countries” she said.
In contrast, she dismissed several measures that are being debated in Germany. She argued that the government should let prices work as intended to curb energy demand, rather than resorting to fuel discounts or price caps, which she says only distort markets. Grimm also rejected the idea of an “excess‑profit tax”.
When asked about the new 12‑hour rule governing petrol stations, Grimm viewed it as “probably the least bad option”. She summed up the situation by saying that politics forces people to act: “The public expects decisive action, so we see policy changes roll out, even if they’re not the ideal solution”.
