Faced with rapidly rising prices for petrol and gas, BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht has urged the German federal government to cut the VAT on energy to at least seven percent and to abolish the CO₂ levy. “That would immediately bring relief at the pump” she told the “Stern”, adding that the state should no longer profit from the war.
Wagenknecht warned of an “energy‑price shock” that would “further accelerate the country’s economic decline”. “Germany could become the economic loser of the Iran war” she said, insisting that the government must now shield businesses and consumers from new price explosions.
The party founder also called for a European‑style price‑monitoring system to guarantee that tax cuts actually reach consumers. She renewed her demand to resume importing Russian oil through the pipeline into Schwedt, warning that without action the surge in energy prices would trigger a return of high inflation and additional wealth losses.