Record EU Fuel Prices Renew Calls for a Bloc-Wide Windfall Tax

European governments have discussed imposing a bloc-wide windfall tax on energy companies, as near-record fuel and gas prices put pressure on leaders trying to contain rising bills, the Guardian reported on Friday. The paper quotes a German minister saying companies are exploiting the situation in the Middle East, and describes sky-high prices as a major domestic issue for European leaders.

The Guardian's report is the clearest signal yet that the energy-cost question has moved from national politics to the European level. A windfall levy applied across the bloc would be a significant step, and the fact that it is being discussed at all reflects how far fuel and gas prices have risen.

Italy's position in that debate is one the foreign press has documented separately. The Local Italy reported this week that Italy's electricity prices are among the highest in Europe, and that consumer groups are warning of another spike in energy bills this autumn. The two stories are not the same story, but they meet at the same household bill.