Drivers in Germany are worried about the unprecedented rise in fuel prices. The price of E10 gasoline in Berlin reached around €2.25 ($2.60) per liter on September 15, and the price of diesel reached €2.37. At noon, prices increased by approximately €0.20 per liter, with the highest prices recorded at a highway gas station in southern Berlin, where super plus reached €3.03.
Driver Discontent and Price Differences
Drivers are extremely concerned, as while public transport may be an option in large cities, residents in rural areas have no real alternatives to driving. Residents near national borders benefit from lower prices. On September 7, filling a 60-liter tank with E10 gasoline in the Czech Republic and Poland cost about €31 less than in Germany. In Luxembourg, the difference was €28, and in Austria, it was €25.
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Government Response and Chancellor's Promises
Friedrich Merz (CDU), the Chancellor of Germany, has promised to take measures to reduce prices. He stated at an event in Berlin, "Many people who rely on their cars every day have reached their breaking point." However, details of the measures have not yet been specified.
Meanwhile, Stephen Meyer, the government spokesperson, denied any government responsibility for the price increases, pointing to global factors such as conflicts in the Middle East. Germany imposes higher prices on fuels due to higher fuel taxes.
Herbert Rabl from the Gas Station Interest Group (TIV) clearly stated that oil companies have not made any price reductions in their profit margins. This issue has been raised in political discussions for some time, but the government is divided on this matter.
Last spring, the German government introduced a fuel discount due to rising oil prices following the war in Iran. However, the Minister of Economy, Katharina Reiche (CDU), has announced that there is no possibility of repeating this program.
While the government continues to explore its options, other parties, especially ahead of the regional elections on September 20, feel that time is running out. Manuela Schwesig, the SPD Prime Minister in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is seeking to prevent the far-right from winning.
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