“War, scarcity and speculators - who drives up prices?”
MDR “Fakt Ist” (political talk show) about inflation and its causes with Silke Uebelmesser and others.
MDR - Fakt ist
Published:
At the beginning of the year it was still said that inflation was temporary. But a look at supermarket shelves and petrol pumps shows: inflation is still raging, even seems to be gaining momentum due to war and crises. Food is on average 8.6 percent more expensive than last April. What is left on the plate and how much in the tank? These are questions that now dominate the daily lives of many.
But can the high prices be explained solely by the shortage of goods due to pandemics and war? What role do speculators and the profit motive of producers and traders play? In the case of fuel prices, the cartel authority is currently trying to find out on behalf of Economics Minister Habeck. But foodstuffs like wheat are also traded on the financial market - for some months even excessively, as recent research has shown. Wheat flour has become 14 percent more expensive since the beginning of the year. And yet, experts say, the grain is not yet in short supply.
Does the food market need more regulation? Should speculation be restricted, should a tax be imposed on so-called war profiteers? And what fast-acting remedies can help now, especially to help consumers with low incomes?