Anke Rehlinger, the Saarland premier and member of the SPD, rejected a proposal to loosen oil sanctions against Russia. Addressing RTL and ntv she said that although the situation at the fuel pumps remains tense, easing the sanctions would not be the right solution. “We don’t want to keep financially supporting Putin as a war‑maker. The sanctions were right and they should stay right” she remarked.
Instead Rehlinger urged that the answer be found in competition and antitrust law-a point also made by federal economy minister Reiche. She pointed to a tool called the “unfair‑profit tax” and said it should be examined again.
The spokesperson complained that German motorists are currently experiencing a “price gouging” situation that can’t simply be watched. “What’s happening now literally ends up in the accounts of large corporations. We have to do something about it, but not by supporting war‑makers elsewhere in the world” she stated.
Rehlinger called for a swift assessment of the antitrust framework, adding that “if it takes too long, it won’t help”. She insisted on practical action over theory: “Everyone buys on the same global market, yet prices differ. I see this myself in Saarland, in my own state, in Luxembourg, in France. Especially in Luxembourg the prices are very different. That’s the reality”. She urged politicians to act, adding that federal economy minister Reiche is expected to step in now.
