Despite measures taken by the German government to prevent rising fuel prices, some fuels such as diesel reached historic record levels on Thursday ahead of the Easter holidays.
The average price of one liter of diesel at gas stations in Germany rose to a record €2.32 on Thursday, and in some places even up to €3, the German Automobile Club (ADAC) reported. The price of super petrol is also at its highest ever, reaching €2.19.
This surpasses the record set in March 2022, when prices surged due to the war in Ukraine.
ADAC criticized the price increase, noting that crude oil prices had fallen during the first half of the week. “Fears that oil companies, which are now only allowed to raise prices once a day, would do so drastically to protect themselves, have proven justified,” ADAC said. The latest price surge has increased pressure on the German government, which has been criticized for its weak response to the fuel shock.
Currently, there are discussions about introducing additional tax relief for car travel, as well as reducing taxes on energy products, as has been done in some other EU countries.
A few days ago, Poland announced that it would “monitor” and, if necessary, respond to the situation at gas stations in the border area with Germany, where shortages have been reported in recent days due to a large influx of German drivers seeking cheaper fuel in Poland.
Germany’s Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD) sent a letter to several ministries on Thursday calling for urgent measures to prevent rising energy prices and inflation.
