The gas station industry association (TVI) reacted with outrage to sharp price increases that occurred at noon, shortly after the expiration of a fuel subsidy. According to the association spokesperson, Herbert Rabl, “We are shocked and upset.” He labeled the current actions of the mineral oil corporations an “outrage of the first order.” Rabl specifically referred to the sudden price leaps at gas stations starting at midday and the significant hike in fuel costs from the previous day. He criticized the practice, noting that there is typically still subsidized fuel available at stations, and concluded that consumers “cannot complain enough about this rip-off.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Green Party deputy Andreas Audretsch stated that the price surge, timed precisely at noon on the first day after the discount expired, occurs just as the vacation season begins, confirming that the oil conglomerates’ exploitation continues. Audretsch also sharply criticized Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), accusing him of having funneled hundreds of millions of Euros directly into the pockets of these companies.
In Audretsch’s view, that money could have been invested much more usefully. He called for investments in climate protection and a reduction in the electricity tax. The Green politician asserted that “1.6 billion Euros for both financial relief and for the future and climate protection would have been possible.” He concluded his critique by saying, “Friedrich Merz has once again chosen to provide subsidies to the oil corporations and to spend massive amounts of money supporting the past.”
