The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has rejected the continuation of the fuel discount after the measure is scheduled to expire at the end of June. According to SPD faction deputy Armand Zorn, the discount successfully achieved its goal of providing immediate relief to many people. He argued that since the measure was explicitly temporary, it should not be extended given the high costs involved. Furthermore, Zorn criticized the subsidy as not being targeted enough, noting that a driver of a Porsche benefits more significantly than a driver of a Golf.
Echoing the opposition, Greens co-faction leader Katharina Dröge also spoke out against extending the fuel discount. She insisted that “sensible relief” must finally be provided for everyone, rather than a “fuel discount that primarily ends up in the pockets of the mineral oil corporations.” Janine Wissler, representative of the Left faction, told the “Welt” that while people must be protected from extreme price shocks, the fuel discount was and remains the wrong mechanism, and therefore should not be renewed.
In contrast, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) advocated for the continuation of the relief. Leif-Erik Holm, the AfD’s economic spokesperson in the Bundestag, asserted that permanent relief from the excessive fuel prices is unavoidable. He stated that the initial two-month discount was only “a drop in the ocean,” given the situation. Holm added that government levies account for half of the fuel’s price, which he deemed too high regardless of the situation in the Middle East. He also dismissed the possibility of alternative financing as a problem, pointing out that the tobacco tax was already raised permanently.
