Streeck said he had been aggressively approached by lobbyists at several Berlin summer parties in recent weeks. “They want to wear me down,” the CDU politician said. He is accused of refusing to talk, which he denies. He has held an official meeting with representatives of the tobacco industry and disclosed it transparently.
The dispute is over the planned significant increase in tobacco taxes by the black-red coalition. The tax hike is expected to bring in an additional 700 million euros. A pack of 20 cigarettes would cost an average of 9.10 euros next year – 33 cents more than previously expected. The price is to rise gradually to an average of 11.78 euros by 2030.
Streeck had expressed satisfaction with the proposed amendment on Deutschlandfunk and hinted that, in his view, the tobacco tax could even be higher.
Source: www.spiegel.de
