The director of the German Economic Institute (IW), Michael Hüther, has criticized the proposal by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to tighten antitrust law. “Minister Habeck tries to clean up the wrong thing with the wrong thing,” said Hüther “t-online” with a view to the tank discount as the trigger for Habeck’s idea.
“The tank discount was a mistake that was announced,” said the economist. “However, it makes no sense to tackle antitrust law now. It borders on arbitrariness if the minister wants to adapt antitrust law without real evidence of misconduct on the part of companies. One argument , which is based on feelings, is not possible.” According to his own statement on Deutschlandfunk, Habeck wants to assume in future that there is a cartel if the effect on the markets is appropriate. Hüther rejects this plan: “Market power cannot be tied to the profit margin It’s all about the market structure: If it’s very tight because there are only a few companies competing, there’s no need for price agreements, then the prices automatically adjust very quickly.
In this case, according to the economist: “Then that’s the way it is. Then we can’t change it by breaking up either. And by the way, we shouldn’t either.” The reason for this is the importance of the price mechanism for the energy transition. “Only in this way will we be able to switch from fossil to renewable energies and drive forms in the long term,” says Hüther.
The state cuts taxes, but fuel prices remain high. The suspicion: The oil multinationals put money in their own pockets. Economics Minister Robert Habeck now wants to tighten antitrust law. Previously, calls for a tougher crackdown had been growing louder.
On Sunday evening, a 36-year-old drove his car into a group of cyclists. A 71-year-old was fatally injured. Before that, the man who fled is said to have killed his father in Rhineland-Palatinate. The police were able to arrest him and are now investigating the background to the crime.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier advocates the introduction of compulsory service in the social sector or in the Bundeswehr for all young women and men.
