BVTE Urges Berlin to Halt Tobacco Tax Hikes After Election Shock
Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- The Bundesverband der Tabakwirtschaft und neuartiger Erzeugnisse (BVTE) has called on Germany's coalition government to halt planned tobacco tax increases that would raise average smokers' annual costs by more than 1,000 euros, citing voter unrest after the Saxony-Anhalt state election.
Infratest dimap data shows 89% of AfD voters fear unaffordable price increases
An infratest dimap analysis of the Saxony-Anhalt election found that 89 percent of AfD voters worry that rising prices will make it impossible to pay their bills, while 80 percent fear they can no longer maintain their standard of living. BVTE Managing Director Jan Mücke said the election result must be understood in Berlin as a signal that further tax increases contradict public sentiment.