SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said he will look at how Luxembourg is handling fuel‑price rises caused by the war in Iran. In an ntv interview with Pinar Atalay on Monday, Klingbeil urged the political establishment to examine whether Luxembourg is setting price limits and to take action against what he calls “price gouging”.
He also called the situation “crazy extortion”. Klingbeil noted that many European countries are not experiencing the same sharp price spikes that Germany is. He added that tax cuts are not on the agenda at the moment.
Klingbeil accused major oil companies of exploiting the crisis, saying it is increasingly obvious that they are trying to profit from the war situation.
Beyond tightening antitrust rules, he revived the idea of an excess‑profit tax. “I expect the European Commission to re‑activate this” he said.
He argued that the revenue generated should flow back to citizens-through commuter allowances or energy taxes. “We must not allow multinational corporations to enrich themselves at the expense of commuters; that is indecent”.