BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Leading economists have criticized the fuel subsidy planned by Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) to relieve drivers of high fuel prices. “Relief shouldn’t be done with a watering can, but in a targeted manner. That’s why I think that the tank discount is not the right instrument,” said Clemens Fuest, President of the Munich Ifo Institute, the “Rheinische Post” (Thursday).
The “Wirtschaftsweise” Veronika Grimm emphasized: “The discussion about tank discounts is completely out of time. We have to relieve the lower and middle incomes. But tank discounts relieve high earners more, because they own more cars and drive longer distances.”
“In high-income households, the proportion of expenditure on petrol is particularly high, so the reduction in petrol prices tends to be a redistribution from bottom to top,” said Ifo boss Fuest. The federal government has already decided on targeted aid, such as aid for long-distance commuters or heating cost subsidies.
Grimm, a member of the Federal Government’s Economic Expert Council, said that fuel discounts make fossil fuels cheaper. “This thwarts climate protection and massively intensifies the challenges in the event of a possible supply stop of Russian gas. We need the dampening effect of high prices on demand so that we don’t face even greater challenges than we already do in the event of a shortage of fossil fuels.”
Relief must be targeted, said Grimm. “It would be conceivable to have energy money that the recipient would have to declare as income. Then it would be repaid to a larger extent by those receiving high incomes. Energy efficiency programs could also help.”
Lindner had brought the temporary state tank subsidy into play. He wants to reduce the fuel price to under two euros per liter of diesel or petrol. The concrete design is open. On the other hand, he considers the energy money demanded by the Greens to be unsuitable./als/DP/zb