With the Austria-model daily price cap now in place, record diesel prices spark fresh calls for relief. Consumer Protection Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) supports Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil's flexible cap idea, while Greens and economists push speed limits.
Fuel prices have continued to surge since the Iran war began. Building on Economics Minister Katherina Reiche's March announcement and the black-red coalition's rollout of the Austria model on April 1—limiting pump price rises to once daily at noon—the ADAC reported a diesel record of 2.346 euros per litre on Good Friday.
In an interview with the Rheinische Post, Stefanie Hubig urged effective short-term measures and endorsed Klingbeil's proposal for a flexible price cap on petrol, diesel, and heating oil to prevent extreme fluctuations, drawing on examples from Belgium and Luxembourg. "Mobility must remain reliable and affordable even in tense times," she said, emphasizing impacts on families and commuters.
Other options under review include raising the Pendlerpauschale commuter allowance, lump-sum relief via vehicle tax data, or cuts to energy and electricity taxes.
Economist Veronika Grimm again opposed caps, favoring a speed limit. Greens leader Katharina Dröge called it "long overdue" for energy savings, and Left's Agnes Conrad advocated 120 km/h on motorways to reduce accidents, fuel use, and emissions—long pushed by SPD, Greens, and Left against CDU/CSU and FDP resistance.
