Erfurt (dpa/th) - The East German automotive industry warns of a loss of business in winter. Due to rising energy prices, rapid state intervention in the electricity market is therefore necessary, explained the industry networks of the East German automotive industry on Wednesday. The associations also warned against hesitating for too long in introducing an electricity price cap.
The chairman of Automotive Thuringia, Mathias Hasecke, said that the economic consequences of the enormously increasing electricity and energy costs would unsettle companies in the supply industry enormously. No reliable energy cost calculation is possible. Rising energy costs not only put a strain on private households, but also endangered companies and, consequently, jobs in the economy. "In times like these, all industrial policy options for realigning existing framework conditions must be on the table," said Hasecke.
Rico Chmelik, Managing Director of Automotive Thüringen, added that in a survey of 190 Thuringian supplier companies, 88 percent expected negative effects from rising energy and raw material prices in the middle of the year. There is no end to the pressure on energy costs and it poses a serious threat to the existence of companies.
According to the managing director of the Automobilclusters Ostdeutschland (ACOD), Jenskatzek, after years of upheaval, East Germany has developed into the electromobility region of Germany. "We must not jeopardize this success." That's why the message is very clear: "In a crisis situation in which the electricity market is going crazy, the supply of electricity must under no circumstances be further reduced by shutting down power plants."
