Germany news: Lawmakers vote to lower fuel tax amid high gas prices

What you need to know

• Both house of parliament passed a bill lowering the fuel tax to provide some relief to consumers
• FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki has come under fire for his lack of manners after he sought to insult Chancellor Friedrich Merz
• Kubicki also said he would be willing to cooperate with the far-right AfD in parliament, alarming party colleagues
• Fridays for Future protests are scheduled to take place in some 60 cities and municipalities across Germany today
• The group accuses Energy Minister Katherina Reiche of shaping policy to help the fossil fuel industry

Germany passes fuel rebate legislation

Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, and the upper house, the Bundesrat, on Friday passed legislation designed to temporarily relieve consumer strain over skyrocketing gas prices as a result of the US-Israeli war in Iran.

Economists have scoffed at the measure, pointing out that it fails to direct relief to poorer consumers.

The measure aims to lower the price for one liter of gasoline or diesel by €0.17. Earlier this month, prices for E10 gasoline went up to €2.18 per liter, while diesel prices spiked near €2.44 per liter — that's $9.64 per US gallon for E10 gas and $10.80 per US gallon for diesel.

Germany's ADAC automobile club put Thursday's average fuel prices at €2.07 for E10 gas ($9.16/gallon) and €2.15 per liter of diesel ($9.51/gallon)

The government says the move will mean €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) in tax savings. Although the government aims to help small businesses and commuters, critics say big oil companies will likely not pass along savings.

In mid-April, Merz expressed hope that oil companies would pass savings along to customers.

On Friday, 453 Bundestag parliamentarians voted in favor of the measure, while 134 voted against.

FDP's Kubicki slammed for Merz, AfD comments

Free Democrat (FDP) politician Wolfgang Kubicki has come under fire from outside his party and within for using crude language in attempting to disparage German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 

Kubicki said during a German news podcast on Thursday that it was Merz himself who had prompted him to seek the role of Free FDP leader.

Referring to Merz declaring the FDP "politically dead" after it was crushed again in recent state elections, Kubicki said he immediately thought to himself, "I'll show you, you egg ass!"

Kubicki's descriptive phrase was his own creation, so it is unclear exactly what he meant. Nevertheless, the crude remarks drew rebuke from Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which accused him of lacking manners.

"Is this the new tone of the FDP, dear Mr. Kubicki? This won't do. Back in the day, the FDP still had style and decency," wrote the party on X.

Further, Kubicki was slammed by party colleague Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann for comments that he made about working with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It has been accepted political practice in Germany to reject cooperation with radical political parties according to a so-called firewall policy.

Kubicki on Thursday called the practice into question, saying, "It's neither in the constitution, nor the law. I don't recognize firewalls." 

Strack-Zimmermann blasted the idea, saying the FDP's "task is to strengthen the political center and defend liberalism. Not to push the party to the right," adding, "Whoever leads the party to the right, leads the party to its demise."

Why Germany's anti-AfD firewall is crumbling

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Welcome to our coverage

Guten Morgen from DW's newsroom in Bonn. 

We will start today with a dust-up over crude words and a right-wing overture from the man seeking to become leader of the business-friendly FDP. Wolfgang Kubicki found himself under attack after attempting to insult Chancellor Friedrich Merz while at the same time declaring his willingness to work with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in parliament — until now a taboo in the Bundestag.

The Fridays for Future group has also called for nationwide strikes across Germany today after slamming Energy Minister Katherina Reiche, accusing her of being cozy with the gas industry and funneling profits to fossil fuel giants with environmentally unfriendly policy decisions. Protests are expected in some 60 municipalities.     

There is also trouble on the horizon for German seniors over pension funds and rising living costs, and workers at luxury sports car maker Porsche look likely to get stiffed on bonuses as investors still get payouts as the company flounders.