Andreas Audretsch, the deputy faction leader of the Green Party, is opposing the implementation of a new gas subsidy despite the significant rise in fuel prices. Instead, he is calling for a reduction in the electricity tax, according to statements given to RTL and ntv. He believes lowering the electricity tax to the European minimum level could provide a billion euros in relief that would go directly into the pockets of citizens.
Audretsch stressed his reluctance to support any new fuel discount. “I do not want to give even a single cent to these oil companies that are currently filling their pockets at our expense. That must not happen.” He pointed out that the prior fuel discount demonstrated that some of the state relief money ended up benefiting the oil corporations. He noted that of the €1.6 billion the federal government expended on these measures, roughly 30 percent had gone into the hands of oil companies for diesel.
In Audretsch’s view, the funds allocated for relief must reach the people directly. He maintains that a decrease in the electricity tax is the superior solution, arguing that it is a quicker, simpler, and more direct method of bringing money to every household in Germany. “And that should be done,” he concluded.
