Should the government subsidise kebabs?

That’s the question in Germany at the moment amid fears the price of the dish could surpass €10 (£8.60).

The German Left Party has reportedly proposed using state funds to cap the price of kebabs at €4.90 (£4.20) – and €2.50 (£2.10) for young people.

The meaty flatbread meal – one of Germany’s de facto national dishes – currently averages around €7.9 (£6.80), a number that the Left Party says is going up with inflation.

The cost of kebabs has become something of a running joke in German politics, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz remarking that everywhere he goes he is asked about it.

Kathi Gebel, a member of the Left Party’s executive committee, told BILD: “When young people demand: Olaf, make the kebab cheaper, then it’s not an internet joke, but a serious cry for help!

“The state must intervene so that food does not become a luxury item.”

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The newspaper cited a report from Ms Gebel’s party, which says that 1.3 billion kebabs are eaten in Germany every year and the proposed subsidies could potentially cost “almost four billion”.

Rents and electricity costs for kebab shops are rising, pushing up prices for consumers, the party says.

In the UK, people buying takeaways have faced soaring prices, with the boss of Deliveroo saying in March that food inflation was outpacing wage inflation by about two to one.

The UK government has not made any commitment to a kebab price cap.

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