Germany鈥檚 conservatives double down on criticism of EU鈥檚 planned 2035 combustion engine phase-out
Bild / Die Welt
Politicians from Germany鈥檚 conservative CDU/CSU alliance have reinforced their criticism of the planned end of new registrations of combustion engine cars in the EU by 2035. Bavaria鈥檚 state premier, Markus S枚der from the Christian Socialist Union (CSU),听聽newspaper Bild that 鈥渢he end for combustion engines by 2035 is wrong and therefore has to be taken back.鈥� S枚der said 鈥渞etiring a functioning technology and leaving it to other countries is absurd.鈥� Instead of introducing bans 鈥渨e must allow and support鈥� technologies to flourish, S枚der argued. He added that the government should re-introduce its buyer鈥檚 premium for electric cars.
Julia Kl枚ckner, economic policy spokesperson for the parliamentary faction of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the CSU鈥檚 sister party,聽聽newspaper Die Welt: 鈥淚 think it is wrong to make a one-sided decision and prohibit a technology for which there is not yet an adequate replacement.鈥� She argued that combustion engines could be made to run on climate-neutral fuel. 鈥淏ut if policymakers don鈥檛 even begin to consider such a development in their laws, why should anyone in Europe start research into it,鈥� Kl枚ckner said, adding that 鈥渋t would be right to prohibit the prohibition of聽combustion engines.鈥�
Germany鈥檚 government coalition parties were split on the issues, Die Welt reported. The head of the Social Democrats鈥� parliamentary faction (SPD), Detlef M眉ller, said it would be wrong to scrap the aim of phasing-out new combustion engine cars by the middle of the next decade to ensure planning security for companies. 鈥淭here needs to be clarity and reliability: the end of combustion engines remains intact,鈥� M眉ller said. Likewise, the Green Party鈥檚 transport policy spokesperson, Stefan Gelbhaar, said the EU should focus on ramping up electric mobility. 鈥淲e must stimulate the ramp-up in a targeted manner.鈥� At the same time, the Free Democrats鈥� (FDP) transport expert, Bernd Reuther, said his party 鈥渇or a long time has called for technology-open solutions, especially with regard to the registration of combustion engine cars鈥�.
The EU Commission鈥檚 president, Ursula von der Leyen, who hails from Germany鈥檚 CDU, had initially welcomed the proposed ban as part of the Commission鈥檚 Green Deal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, earlier this year she said the plan should be reviewed for its feasibility and effects on companies.
