Faced with rising petrol and diesel prices, Green Party leader Felix Banaszak urges a range of measures to cut fuel consumption. “We need basic actions now to protect people and businesses – and that without ideological blinders” he told “Der Spiegel” on Thursday. “A temporary speed limit would immediately lower fuel use, soften prices, and help all drivers who rely on their cars for work in a simple, solidarity‑based way” Banaszak explained.
He also called for the reintroduction of the 9‑Euro ticket for public transit. “Until the war ends at the very least, it would ease the temporary shift to public transport for millions of people” he said, adding that the idea is being ignored.
In addition, Banaszak demanded a “temporary profit‑tax on the oil industry”. The revenue could be passed directly to the public through lower electricity bills.
Challenging Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and the black‑red coalition, Banaszak accused them of lacking courage in handling the energy‑price crisis. “They fear the citizens, yet those citizens have repeatedly shown that when they see a purpose and a government that actually does what’s necessary and pragmatic, they are willing to accommodate” he noted. “This chancellor is not ready for a crisis”.