Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s General Secretary, has called for the fuel discount to be implemented more quickly than originally planned. Speaking to RTL and ntv, Linnemann stated that the discount should be available at gas pumps by the first half of May, suggesting, “Perhaps we can make it by May 1st” emphasizing that such a goal is a matter of political will. He argued, “If you want to do it, you can achieve it”. Given that relief measures were promised, he insisted that things needed to move faster, recalling that, “Previously, the higher the billion-euro sum, the faster it passed through the Bundestag”.
Linnemann did not rule out extending the fuel discount over the summer if gasoline prices remain high, adding that declaring a definite end date would be premature. He stressed that the primary focus must be on aiding people in rural areas who lack public transport alternatives. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Chancellor Merz is correct in arguing that all issues cannot be solved with money.
The CDU politician conceded that the tax reduction might not be passed entirely on to car owners. However, he maintained that in the last fuel discount, 80 to 90 percent of the benefit was successfully distributed. “I hope that we can at least achieve that magnitude, and perhaps even more”.
