Alexander Hoffmann, head of the CSU’s state group, has turned down the proposal of a petrol‑discount scheme to relieve motorists. Speaking to the news portal T‑Online, he explained that tightening antitrust law is more effective than a simple price cut, because it guarantees that price controls actually reach consumers.
Hoffmann cited the last petrol‑discount initiative rolled out by the coalition government after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. According to him, oil companies retained 70 % of the relief and only passed through 30 % to drivers. He said the same mistake should not happen again. To prevent this, the government is now shifting the burden of proof in cases of price increases and is preparing to use a stricter legal tool to prevent companies with dominant market positions from imposing unjustified price hikes from the outset.