Members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have urged Federal Economy Minister Katharina Reiche (CDU) to roll out the planned Austria‑style rule limiting gasoline price increases at the earliest opportunity-ideally next week.
Deputy chair of the SPD parliamentary group, Armand Zorn, told the “Bild” (Thursday edition) that the rule “must be implemented quickly, if possible already next week”. He added that the SPD faction is ready to back a legal change if the ministry cannot settle the matter by regulation. “If the economy ministry cannot regulate this by ordinance, our members would immediately agree to a statutory amendment” Zorn said in reference to the Union faction.
Reiche had previously announced that petrol stations would be allowed to raise prices only once per day, but she did not specify a start date.
Meanwhile, deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Sepp Müller, also demanded swift action. “We will move quickly into implementation and closely monitor it through the task force in the medium term” he said to the newspaper. “In the short term we expect the price rise to be moderated by drawing down the oil reserve”.
Saxony‑Anhalt’s state premier, Sven Schulze (CDU), called on the federal government to bring the plan into force next week, warning Berlin not to “tuck the issue away for a long time”. Schulze urged the federal cabinet to treat the matter as a priority and decide by late next week.
In Schleswig‑Holstein, CDU state parliamentarian Rasmus Vöge added further pressure. “The Bundestag has just introduced the banking rescue shield, and this must now also be available to German motorists” he told the newspaper. “By the end of next week the new rule should be in effect at the latest”.