Podemos will defend this week in the Plenary of Congress a proposal that demands the implementation of a permanent tax on the extraordinary profits of large energy and oil companies, with the aim of collecting all the extra money obtained since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and, at the same time, launching a public company in the electricity sector.
The initiative is presented as a motion resulting from an urgent interpellation that the purple formation directed in the last plenary session to the first vice president and minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, focused on the rise in inflation and the increase in the cost of living.
During that debate, one of the central points was the sharp increase in energy prices, identified as the main driver of inflation in recent weeks. Although the Government has approved relief measures for households, such as direct aid per liter of fuel, the party integrated into the Mixed Group considers that the response is "insufficient."
"The reduction of the tax aid on fuel to just five cents per liter cannot be presented as a sufficient response to a problem that affects the overall cost of living," Podemos has emphasized in its motion, which Europa Press has accessed.
In the text, the formation underscores that, while families find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, large energy companies continue to obtain "extraordinary profits." As a reference, it details that between January and June Iberdrola earned 4.556 billion, Endesa 1.470 billion, Naturgy 1.215 billion, and Repsol 2.201 billion.
Based on these results, the party led by Irene Montero and Ione Belarra argues that, if extraordinary profits are linked to an exceptional situation, it is "reasonable" to also demand an extraordinary tax contribution.
A stable tax and a public energy company
Under this approach, Podemos proposes to set a "permanent" tax on the extraordinary profits of large energy and oil companies, in order for public coffers to recover an amount equivalent to the extra profits accumulated since the beginning of the energy crisis of 2022.
Alongside this tax, the formation demands the approval of intervention mechanisms and limits on fuel and electricity prices, to contain their impact on consumers and businesses.
Finally, Podemos proposes to promote the necessary legal reforms to create a public energy generation company that ensures public control of the energy sector throughout the entire chain, from production to the arrival of energy to end users.