Christian Lindner, the former chairman of the FDP and Federal Minister of Finance, criticized the black-red government’s hesitant approach to easing burdens for citizens due to high fuel prices. speaking to the TV channel “Welt” on Friday, Lindner stated, “I regret that”. Since the beginning of the year, Lindner has been employed by a major car wholesale group. He emphasized that many people rely on cars not only for their jobs but also for daily life. Lindner noted that because a larger number of car owners live in rural areas, they cannot simply switch to public transport and thus are highly affected. He stressed the necessity for “individual mobility to be financially achievable in Germany”. The former finance minister also recalled that the “traffic light” coalition introduced a fuel discount in 2022. He explained that the surcharge on gasoline and diesel was reduced for a limited time of three months because he, at that time, did not want to profit from the high fuel prices. Regarding criticism that the fuel discount was largely ineffective, Lindner defended it, claiming, “It was more successful than alleged”. He pointed out that investigations suggest the discount was almost entirely passed on to citizens for gasoline and to a significant extent for diesel.
Lindner Slams Government Over Lack of Gas Price Relief
