The Federal Association of Consumer Organisations sharply criticized the failure to implement the promised electricity tax reduction for households. Ramona Pop, board member of the VZBV, told the Funke-Mediengruppe that the inability to deliver the electricity tax reduction again cannot be communicated to consumers. She stated that the constant repetition of promises followed by their withdrawal undermines public trust, calling the relief for private households a mere farce. During the budget negotiations this week, Union and SPD were unable to finance the tax reduction, which the Chancellor had announced, and therefore canceled it. Pop assessed that the budget negotiations are increasingly becoming a test of endurance for consumers, particularly because the introduction of the sugar tax is once again uncertain. The VZBV chief stressed that the sugar tax must genuinely be implemented in 2028 and not diluted. She added that the longer transition period allows manufacturers sufficient time to adjust their recipes, making consumer price increases difficult to justify.
Mixed
