Sepp Müller, deputy leader of the Union parliamentary group, deems comprehensive subsidies against high fuel prices unrealistic. Eastern German CDU state premiers demand suspension of the CO₂ tax. Care associations warn of impacts on rural patient care.
Sepp Müller (CDU), deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, stated that the state cannot fully subsidize high fuel prices. "We must tell people the truth: The state cannot simply subsidize away this price shock," he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). He attributed this to the escalating situation at the Strait of Hormus and warned against new debts burdening future generations, citing Italy's debt policy as an example.
Müller co-leads a coalition taskforce on fuel prices with SPD politician Armand Zorn. The group prioritizes "targeted relief instead of expensive blanket measures," he emphasized to RND. Markets anticipate at least a year of sustained high prices.
In contrast, CDU state premiers from eastern Germany—Mario Voigt (Thuringia), Sven Schulze (Saxony-Anhalt), and Michael Kretschmer (Saxony)—demand immediate suspension of the CO₂ tax. Voigt told Bild it could lower fuel prices by up to 16 cents per liter. Schulze added to Bild that the tax must be suspended and prices monitored by the cartel office. Kretschmer called the levy an "additional burden on the middle of society."
Care associations cautioned that high petrol prices threaten rural patient care. Sarah Lukuc of the Bundesverband für Pflegemanagement warned of service restrictions in rural areas. Markus Mai, head of the Deutscher Pflegeverband, called for state-fixed maximum prices to prevent provider insolvencies.
