Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and the CEO of the car manufacturer Porsche, Oliver Blume, have rejected a report by the ZDF satirical show "Die Anstalt". In the program, a cabaret artist had suggested that an exception clause for vehicles with e-fuels had been included in the coalition agreement by influencing the FDP leader.
E-fuels are synthetic fuels that are to be produced from renewable electricity. Environmental groups criticize that they are inefficient and will remain expensive and only available to a limited extent for the foreseeable future.
Cabaret artist Max Uthoff said in the show that was broadcast on Tuesday that Blume - who is to replace Herbert Diess at the head of the parent company VW from September 1 - had managed to "keep open" the future use of e-fuels for his clientele.
As evidence, he cited an alleged statement by Blume to Porsche employees on June 29: “We have a very large share in the fact that e-fuels were included in the coalition agreement. We were a main driver there, with very close contact to the coalition parties. Christian Lindner has kept me up to date almost every hour over the past few days.”
The show's "fact check" states that the statement came from a company meeting. "The editors have evidence that verifies this statement." When asked by "Stern", ZDF did not want to comment further on what the evidence looked like.
Lindner had the report denied. The position of the FDP boss on e-fuels has been known for years, according to Lindner's Twitter account. "Accordingly, in June he commented on the EU's plan to phase out combustion engines and acted within the BReg (federal government, editor's note). There was no previous contact with Mr. Blume and no other influence."
The traffic light coalition had stipulated in the coalition agreement that it wanted to work to ensure that vehicles that are fueled with e-fuels could also be registered after a ban on combustion engines in 2035. During negotiations at EU level, the FDP insisted on this exception for e-fuels - with success.
Car manufacturer Porsche also rejected the report by the "Institute". "There was no such exchange," the "Spiegel" quoted a company spokesman as saying. "It is true that the company maintains a constructive exchange with all relevant stakeholders." But there was no live ticker.”
