In Brussels, Environment Minister Lemke and Economics Minister Habeck decide on behalf of the federal government whether or not to agree to the end of combustion engines from 2035. Tuned, as they themselves explain. But some statements "surprise" Finance Minister Lindner. The chancellor appeases.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not believe that there is a dispute in the federal government about a possible end for new combustion cars from 2035. Many proposals are currently being developed at EU level, so that interim results do not make sense, he said at the final press conference of the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria. "We actually agree to act as one."
According to Scholz, the decisive factor is the coalition agreement, in which the plans are described in detail: The focus is on zero-emission drives, but one also wants to make it possible for cars to be registered with e-fuels, for example, in 2035, said the Chancellor in Bavaria. "As a government, we have always presented this to the European institutions, the Commission and the Council."
The EU environment ministers want to vote on the future of combustion cars in Europe during the course of the day. In the morning, Federal World Minister Steffi Lemke announced that she would vote on behalf of Germany to phase out combustion engines from 2035. At the same time, she wants to work to ensure that vehicles that use so-called e-fuels are also approved after 2035, even if the EU Commission's proposal does not include it, as Lemke admitted. She also wants to fight for exceptions in areas where there are no alternative fuels. She cited fire engines, shipping and air traffic as examples.
Lemke and Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who was also in Brussels, made it clear before the start of the consultations at EU level that the Federal Government had a coordinated position. "It's a day where we go in well prepared, coordinated, prepared," said Habeck. "We represent the common line of the government, which on the one hand wants to support a strong CO2 reduction for the transport sector and on the other hand wants to guarantee openness to technology," said Lemke.
FDP leader Christian Lindner seems to see things differently. When asked, the Federal Minister of Finance spoke of "surprising" statements. "Today's statements by the Environment Minister do not correspond to the current agreements," he emphasized. According to him, it has been agreed within the traffic light coalition that Germany will only agree to the end of combustion engines if the EU agrees to allow combustion engines with CO2-free fuels after 2035.
Criticism of the divided federal government came from the EU Parliament. "The federal government gives an embarrassing picture," said the CDU MEP Jens Gieseke. The FDP parliamentarian Jan-Christoph Oetjen called for a compromise that would secure the climate goals and guarantee openness to technology. "An absolute ban on combustion engines is therefore excluded," he said.
Irrespective of the coalition dispute, Lemke and Habeck expect lengthy negotiations with their EU colleagues in Brussels. "We're preparing for a long day or even a short night," said Lemke. There is also pressure from the EU Commission to reach an agreement. "It would be a tragedy if we couldn't come to any conclusions today," said Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. One shouldn't lose any time.
The EU Parliament has already spoken out in favor of a ban on new combustion engines from 2035. Should the member states adopt this attitude, the way would be clear for the project. However, the FDP insists that vehicles with combustion engines can also be newly registered after 2035 if they can be proven to be fueled only with e-fuels. With alternative fuels, cars and vans should also be able to be operated in a climate-neutral manner. However, critics note that there are already too few of these "green" fuels for aviation and shipping, which are less easy to run electrically than cars or vans. In addition, it is more energy-intensive to operate cars with e-fuels than to drive them directly electrically.
