Electricity tax: Business criticizes the government's rolling course

“The renewed rejection of an electricity tax cut for everyone is a bitter disappointment for companies in Germany,” explained the President of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), Peter Adrian. "The zigzag course of ever new promises and backtracking is shaking trust in the federal government."

“The electricity tax threatens to become a symbol of a coalition reform policy that promises too much and delivers too little,” explained the managing director of the Association of the Electrical and Digital Industry (ZVEI), Wolfgang Weber. "The relief through a lower electricity tax has been promised since the first day of the coalition, but time and again it is not fulfilled."

The federal managing director of the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW), Christoph Ahlhaus, told “Bild”: “The credibility of the Chancellor and the federal government is at stake if they do not deliver on key election promises. One thing is clear: If the coalition bury the electricity tax cut for everyone this week, no one will believe anymore that this federal government really wants to relieve the burden on medium-sized businesses.

The party leaders of the Union and SPD announced late on Wednesday evening that they had not found a solution for the planned reduction in electricity tax. There was a lack of counter-financing, it was said. The measure is agreed in the coalition agreement and was only recently announced again by Chancellor Merz.

But Merz has not given up on the tax cut. At the next meeting of the coalition committee on Tuesday, the issue will come up again with the SPD coalition partner.

“Affordable electricity is not just a question of financial relief, but would also set the course for the future,” explained Weber from ZVEI. “If you want to advance electrification, you have to ensure a competitive and attractive electricity price.” The government is “actionistically” subsidizing gasoline prices downwards, but cannot find any means to reduce electricity taxes. That is “sobering and not a sign of forward-thinking.”