Jan van Aken, the chairman of the Left party, urges a swift cut in the value‑added tax amid rising food prices. “Quick help would be to set the VAT on staple foods to 0 % and to all other food items to 7 %” he told the “Rheinische Post” on Saturday. “This is implementable quickly and offers concrete relief”. He also told Merz and Klingbeil that they must “finally get out of the quagmire”.
After seeing the steep prices at petrol stations, van Aken warned that a “price explosion” could soon hit groceries. “For many people who are already struggling with the higher prices, this is a catastrophe” he said.
He has called for a state agency to monitor prices, arguing that it must keep a close eye “if the corporations try to overcharge us again”. He stresses that especially in crisis times, food must remain affordable and that food‑industry profits should not come at the expense of hard‑working citizens.
On Friday a “Taskforce” set up by the coalition factions of the CDU/CSU and SPD will meet again to discuss the repercussions of the Iran war, also taking into account the rising cost of living for consumers.