ruth901
Top economist has a clear messageExpert hammer! That's why fuel prices must not fall
“We have to get away from the idea that the state always takes care of everything for everyone,” says economist Monika Schnitzer.
picture alliance / HMB Media / Uwe Koch
In view of the high petrol and diesel prices, the head of the economists warns that the state should only help those people who really need it. Schnitzer reminds us of the plans for climate money.
The chairwoman of the so-called economic wise men, Monika Schnitzer, has spoken out against government intervention in fuel prices. “What is particularly wrong is to intervene in the price, because people should now drive less or at least drive more slowly. Oil is scarce, we have to reduce consumption,” she told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
Most people could cope with the higher fuel prices, says the economist at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. “We have to get away from the idea that the state always takes care of everything for everyone. We should only help those who really need it.” The current proposals are not really convincing. Instead, she suggested introducing the so-called climate money now and thus returning the CO2 tax to the citizens.
The climate money was originally planned by the federal government made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. It should offer citizens compensation for the gradual increase in the price of carbon dioxide emissions. The traffic light coalition did not get around to introducing climate money until its premature end in November 2024.
There is currently disagreement in the current federal government as to what possible relief could look like. Finance Minister and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is in favor of a temporary reduction in energy tax and wants to finance this with an excess profit tax on energy companies. However, Economics Minister Katherina Reiche from the CDU is against an excess profits tax and wants to use the additional revenue from VAT to increase the commuter allowance. The diesel tax should be reduced for the goods and logistics industry.
The Austrian economist Gabriel Felbermayr, new to the Council of Economists, also spoke out against interventions in fuel prices and an excess profits tax. Monika Schnitzer has been chairwoman of the Advisory Council for the Assessment of Overall Economic Development in Germany since 2022. Its members are also colloquially referred to as economics.
Sources used: chl/dpa
