Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has taken note of the falling fuel prices in Poland that followed the relaunch of the government’s CPN programme, concluding that a fill-up just across the eastern border now pays off like never before. At the same time, the newspaper makes clear that Berlin is unlikely to borrow the Warsaw recipe.
FAZ raised the subject over the previous weekend, explaining the mechanism standing behind the price drop. The paper wrote:
– In Poland, a fuel price cap comes into force. It was made possible by a windfall tax on fuel companies. – reported Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The publication, discussed by Deutsche Welle, pointed to legislation signed at the start of this month by Karol Nawrocki. Once the president’s signature was in place, the government revived the CPN scheme, which sets maximum fuel prices across the country.
A tempting trip across the border
The daily came back to the topic in its Monday edition, noting that Polish forecourts may prove hard to resist for Germans living close to the frontier.
– From the point of view of drivers the conclusion is clear: refuelling in Poland is more profitable than ever. Filling up with petrol or diesel just across Germany’s eastern border, they can save more than 40 cents per litre. – the newspaper observed.
Why Berlin will not follow suit
FAZ stressed that introducing a comparable mechanism in Germany would be difficult to pull off, since the CDU, the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is not convinced by the idea of a windfall levy. The paper reminded readers that Warsaw has adopted solutions the SPD had been demanding for a long time.
According to the daily, circles linked to Merz’s grouping initially backed a cut in VAT on petrol and diesel, even though such a move would clash with an EU directive.
– The Poles were not bothered by that. – commented Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The newspaper also noted that if the German Christian Democrats opted for a similar step, it could be read as contradicting the pro-European image the party has been building.
FAZ pointed out that while Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, who is tied to the SPD, supports a windfall profits tax, such a solution would run against the German constitution. Under the Basic Law of Poland’s western neighbour, federal authorities cannot create new categories of taxation.
The measure could still be adopted in Germany if the levy were introduced at the EU level. The SPD favours pushing such a proposal in Brussels, yet unanimity would be required. The European Commission has so far given no signal that it intends to do so.
The daily observed that this kind of solution has already been used in the EU, but proceedings on the matter are currently pending before European courts. Beyond the Polish model, the SPD is calling for a price ceiling modelled on Luxembourg or Belgium. The economy ministry opposes that idea, arguing among other things that it could pose a threat to the continuity of supplies.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
