Sebastian Roloff, the economic‑policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, has called for a “surplus profit tax” to address the steep rise in fuel prices and has urged the government to issue direct cash payments to ease the burden on low‑income households. He said the tax could be used to boost the commuter allowance, but stressed that people need relief now rather than waiting for the next tax return.
Roloff has urged the Union (CDU/CSU) to clear a path for such direct payments, arguing that those hit hardest by the price surge deserve prompt support and that the Union must take a clear stance on the issue.
While acknowledging that measures already taken to curb fuel costs have helped, he warned that oil companies are unlikely to cut prices in the foreseeable future and that the Iran conflict is expected to continue for several weeks. The SPD politician also expressed willingness to pursue a broader market restructuring, criticizing the current concentration of the supply chain-from extraction to retail-in a few conglomerates that can set prices and benefit disproportionately from the Iran crisis. He called for “unraveling the market” to reduce this dependence.
