Cabinet meeting in Meseberg: Scholz withdraws from the affair in the burner dispute

According to Chancellor Scholz, the cabinet meeting in Meseberg Castle in Brandenburg has led to a rapprochement on various controversial issues.

Cabinet meeting in Meseberg: Scholz withdraws from the affair in the burner dispute

According to Chancellor Scholz, the cabinet meeting in Meseberg Castle in Brandenburg has led to a rapprochement on various controversial issues. When asked about the end of new cars with combustion engines from 2035, he passes the ball to the EU Commission.

The leaders of the traffic light coalition drew a positive balance after the cabinet meeting of the federal government in Meseberg, Brandenburg. "I can tell you that we have also made progress on many issues that we negotiate in day-to-day business," said Scholz at the final press conference. The traffic light coalition now wants to complete various projects “in a very short time”. "What has taken place here is a very palpable undercut and also the common belief that it will succeed."

In the dispute over an end for new cars with combustion engines from 2035, he sees the EU Commission on the train. Scholz said the federal government agreed that they assume that the European Commission will make a proposal on how e-fuels could be used after 2035. This had already been made "politically effective" last year in close discussion with the Commission. "And now it's about making it clear that this is actually going to happen."

Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner said that openness to technology is a great asset for the FDP. "This means that no final political decision will be made about the drives in private cars." It was against this background and in this spirit that European decision-making was involved. There is currently no legal certainty that vehicles with petrol or diesel engines can actually be registered after 2035 if they are fueled with "eco-fuel". "We need this legally secure, clear link between the decision on the fleet limit values ​​and the possibility of new registrations." The EU vote on the planned end for new cars with combustion engines from 2035 was postponed on Friday due to additional demands from Germany.

With a view to the high demand for workers, Scholz emphasized that Germany would "leave the problem of unemployment behind" in the coming years. The chancellor said the government had managed in its first year to lead the country through the crisis triggered by Russia's war of aggression. This created "an impetus for our country", which should now be taken along in order to master the major challenge of the ecological transformation of the economy.

Scholz expressed his confidence that "we will shoulder this major task". But every woman and every man would be needed as workers, including workers from abroad. "We need speed," he emphasized, with a view to the restructuring of the economy and energy production, for example four to five new wind turbines would have to be built every day by 2030 and electromobility would have to be promoted.

"We are facing major challenges in terms of transformation," said Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck. But he also pointed out that 20 years ago there was hardly any green electricity in Germany and that a lot had been achieved since then. Challenges "always seemed to be such a big mountain", but there were "every chance of overcoming the big challenges. He was confident that we would get out of the exam and solve all the questions".