The Chairman of The Left Party, Pantisano, is demanding financial relief for rail passengers to match the recent fuel discounts. Speaking to Funke-Medien, he stated that while the rising costs are a burden on the public and he appreciates the government’s measures for motorists, the same relief should “now come to rail passengers.” Pantisano insists that the Deutschlandticket must finally be lowered to a price that every citizen can actually afford.
The new fuel discount took effect on Thursday, which is expected to reduce the price of diesel and gasoline by nearly 17 cents per liter through the end of the year. However, this relief comes as the price of the Deutschlandticket is set to rise by €3.80, reaching €66.80 starting January 1st. Pantisano further called for the return of the 9-Euro-Ticket, accusing the federal government of being “incapable” of making people’s lives affordable.
He criticized the government’s handling of the fuel subsidy, asserting that the ruling coalition has failed to learn from past errors, particularly regarding ensuring that the full brunt of the discount is passed directly to the consumers. Moreover, Pantisano highlighted that the government remains unwilling to implement a windfall tax on mineral oil corporations. While the coalition aims to introduce a general price cap by January 1st, he noted that the implementation of a windfall tax is currently uncertain.
