Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche (CDU), has strongly advocated for a prompt reduction in the electricity tax. According to Reiche, the tax cut should be implemented immediately once sufficient financial room becomes available within the federal budget. She noted that the Federal Finance Minister has committed to reviewing every possible option for reducing this levy, a move that has been actively pushed by coalition factions, particularly the Union parliamentary group.
In separate comments, Reiche defended the gasoline station pricing system, specifically the “12 o’clock rule” and the existing fuel discount. She argued that fixing the price at a specific time helps customers gain greater predictability at the pump. Furthermore, she stated that the discount mechanism has been instrumental in mitigating high price increases, as the oil industry passes these savings on to the consumers. While acknowledging that the government has eased price hikes for both gasoline and diesel, the Minister firmly stated that the federal government’s role is not to “subsidize holiday flights”.
When questioned about extending the current fuel discount beyond the summer holiday period, Reiche advised that no decision has been finalized on the matter.
