German Fuel Rebate Debate Returns as Economists and Greens Object

Fuel prices in Germany have climbed well above two euros per liter, fueling public anger at the pumps. Steven Gröbler, who runs a gas station in Berlin's Westend, reports that customers fill up but stop buying anything in the shop, and some are so frustrated they throw free candies at him. Gröbler says his prices are set by the mineral oil company and that he earns only 1 to 1.5 cents per liter himself. The fuel rebate is now returning, and with it what the source describes as reflexive outrage from the Greens and the Left as well as from a who's who of neoliberal economists. Among the critics named are Veronika Grimm, a member of the German Council of Economic Experts, and Timon Dzenius of the Green Youth. The article argues that the critics overlook evidence contained in anonymized traffic data from TomTom. The piece is published by the German weekly Der Freitag under the author Maurice Höfgen and addresses the 2026 fuel rebate, arguing that the criticism is misplaced and examining who actually benefits from the measure.