Germany's energy crisis deepens as SPD warns of kerosene and fuel shortages
Berlin. Dirk Wiese, the SPD parliamentary group's managing director in the Bundestag, has defended calls for an emergency conference of state premiers with the federal government to address energy supply issues.
"We must take the situation very seriously," he told broadcasters RTL and ntv. "We see no easing of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. We have a U.S. president acting erratically, and we are feeling the immediate consequences. That is why I believe the SPD state premiers are right to demand this special conference—because this affects every level."
Wiese expressed "major concerns" not only about potential kerosene shortages but also broader supply challenges. "We are seeing difficulties with aluminum and helium supplies. The situation at gas stations is far from stable. We must take crisis preparedness seriously." He emphasized that this was also the responsibility of the Chancellery, noting that former Chancellor Olaf Scholz had established an energy security cabinet after the start of the Ukraine war to identify and mitigate shortages. "This is a task we must now tackle together at all levels," Wiese said, adding that he still saw "room for improvement" in preparedness efforts.
However, he rejected the aviation industry's demand to suspend the air travel tax. "I don't think we can promise relief to everyone," he said. "We need to focus on people who rely on their cars daily to get to work." Given limited state resources, priorities must be set, the SPD politician argued. "Then I say: the focus should be on those who need their cars to commute, to take their children to school. They are the ones we must support." He pointed to the federal government's recent decision to cut fuel prices by 17 cents per liter this week as a step in that direction.
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