Greece fuel prices: Opposition proposes profit caps and windfall taxes

Fragiskos Koutentakis, the Finance Chief of the Greek Left Alliance (ELAS), has criticized high fuel prices in Greece, stating that gasoline in the country is more expensive than in Monaco. He noted that high energy costs impact the broader economy, increasing prices for production, transport, and storage, which ultimately burdens household budgets.

Koutentakis proposed several measures to lower costs, including imposing a cap on profit margins to prevent international price increases from being passed disproportionately to consumers. He also suggested implementing an extraordinary contribution from the windfall profits of refineries, which totaled nearly €1.3 billion in the first half of 2026, to fund price reductions.

Furthermore, Koutentakis highlighted discrepancies in Special Consumption Taxes, noting that Greece's rates for both motor fuel and heating oil are significantly higher than the minimum limits set by the EU.

In response, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis rejected opposition proposals for intervention, stating that the government will announce measures regarding motor fuels on September 30 and heating oil on October 14 as scheduled.