Drei Personen umarnen sich. Eine schaut opimistisch in die Kamera. Eine Schrift mit einem Herz drumherum sagt: "Stärken, was alle stärkt" — Credit: iStock, katleho Seisa

Recommendations for the 2025 German Federal Elections

How much does grocery shopping cost per week? Will energy prices rise again? What does the future hold for public transport, especially the affordable Deutschlandticket? How safe are the products I buy online? People expect policy solutions to these questions, and rightly so.

On 23 February 2025, Germany will elect a new Federal parliament (Bundestag), and thus a new government. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. – vzbv) and its members have specific policy recommendations to improve everyday consumer life. Consumer protection benefits everyone. It provides security and ensures that nobody is left behind. Consumer protection fosters societal cohesion and solidarity even in challenging times.

The next German Federal Government must take people’s concerns and problems seriously. It must deliver tangible improvements in everyday life and thus strengthen the fabric that underpins our society.

Credit: Dominik Butzmann / vzbv

Ramona Pop

Executive Director of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations

Consumer protection benefits us all. It ensures that food is affordable, that public transport operates reliably, and that shopping is fair. A clear consumer policy framework provides security and strengthens trust in the government and the markets. Consumers and the economy as a whole benefit both from consumer protection. After all, private consumption accounts for almost half of Germany’s economic performance

Benefits everyone: Good Food at fair Prices

Credit: iStock, Hispanolistic

Consumers face the following problems

From vegetables to cheese and olive oil, food prices in Germany have risen sharply. This poses a financial challenge to many consumers. Ever more people are forced to compare prices and opt for cheaper alternatives, which makes a healthy and balanced diet more difficult. Companies that hide price hikes behind deceptive packaging exacerbate the problem further. There is no end in sight to the problem. The effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding, can cause crop failure, leading to further price increases.

A healthy, sustainable, and varied diet should not be dependent on income. Consumers expect specific solutions, so that fair food prices are guaranteed both today and in the future.

The German parliament and government should...

It must prevent unjustified price increases for food. This requires an independent price monitoring authority that monitors the entire value chain. This authority must be empowered to know who is earning what on a tomato or a pound of sugar. In addition, food retailers should be obliged to publish the prices of their products online.

If producers change the contents, quantities, or packaging size of their products while maintaining or increasing the price, they should be obliged to clearly label the change for a period of six months. This creates transparency and trust.

It is essential to identify the impact of climate change on global harvests and food prices at an early stage. A food security strategy should entail specific measures to make agriculture more resilient.

Benefits everyone: Affordable Energy from Resilent Networks

Credit: iStock, Halfpoint

Consumers face the following problems

Many consumers are already struggling with high energy prices. The energy and heating transition may exacerbate the problem. There is a risk that the costs for new energy infrastructure and the expansion of the electricity and heating networks could drive prices upwards. Furthermore, the burden is not shared equally. While many companies benefit from exceptions to network fees, private households pay the full price.

Energy must be affordable for all consumers. This is even more important given the rising electricity demand caused by e-vehicles, heat pumps, and storage systems. Planning and investment security strengthens trust in policymakers and the necessary transformation processes.

The German parliament and government should...

Electricity needs to be cheaper. For this purpose, the government should finance network fee exceptions for companies from the state budget or abolish the exemptions. In addition, the electricity tax should be reduced to the minimum that is allowed under European law. Regional differences in network fees should be reduced and consumers should benefit from the falling costs of raw materials and wholesale prices.

It is important that the expansion of energy and electricity grids does not make energy even more expensive for consumers. Electricity tariffs must be intelligently used to more closely link electricity production and consumption and to regionally align network charges.

District heating should be expanded in a cost-efficient way and stay affordable for consumers. Hidden or exorbitant costs of gas should be prevented. A federal supervisory authority is needed to monitor district heating prices.

Benefits everyone: Reliable and affordable Public Transport

Credit: iStock, miodrag ignjatovic

Consumers face the following problems

Delayed trains, dirty vehicles, poor schedules – buses, trains, and trams are a constant source of annoyance for consumers. This can deter people from switching to public transport. Regional differences also play a role. Services in rural areas are underdeveloped and unappealing. Many of the problems have been ongoing for years and undermine trust in the ability of policymakers to solve issues. Admittedly, the Deutschlandticket made public

transport much more affordable for many people. However, the uncertainty surrounding the future of the ticket makes it impossible to plan ahead.

Buses, trains, and trams help people who do not own cars to reach their place of work, the supermarket, and the doctor. Affordable public transport that meets public demand thus reinforces a sense of participation in society and prevents regions from being left behind.

The German parliament and government should...

Public transport problems must be thoroughly documented and passed on to the relevant transport companies. vzbv recommends setting up an independent authority to monitor quality.

Binding minimum standards for public transport should be introduced. They should prescribe how often locations can be reached by bus or rail transport.

It is vital to finance and ensure the long-term availability of the Deutschlandticket. A further price increase before 2030 should be avoided.

Benefits everyone: Safe and Fair Shopping

Consumers face the following problems

From the local corner shop to large shopping centres and online, shopping is an everyday reality for consumers. The experience does not always run smoothly. Problems are particularly common with online marketplaces such as Amazon and Temu. Retailers ignore the right of withdrawal or sell unsafe and even dangerous goods. Consumers are annoyed when products break soon after purchase. However, shopping in traditional stores can also pose problems. Sometimes payment is not possible using certain cards or cash. And sometimes it is not possible to conclude a mobile phone contract, for example due to an incorrect assessment of a consumer’s ability to pay.

Consumers need to be sure that they will not be cheated while shopping, regardless of whether they shop online or in traditional stores. This strengthens faith in the social market economy and in policymakers’ ability to solve problems.

The German parliament and government should...

Clear rules need to be established to assess whether people are capable of paying. A law on credit scores should create legal rules for credit agencies and companies regarding the use and application of credit ratings, and introduce controlling mechanisms.

Consumers need simple, efficiently organised, and legally safeguarded access to cash. It is essential to ensure that the planned digital euro is affordable, safe, user-friendly, and accepted everywhere.

Operators of online marketplaces must ensure that the products they sell pose no risk. More stringent due diligence obligations, stricter liability, and additional controls are needed.

To encourage consumers to purchase more durable products, a longer legal guarantee duration, obligatory information on product lifespan and reparability, and a longer-lasting reversal of the burden of proof with respect to product faults are required.

All recommendations (content is only available in German)