Berlin (dpa) - The SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans has rejected calls from the auto industry for a government purchase bonus.
"The auto companies should first use the rich profits of the past years before calling for taxpayers," said Walter-Borjans to the magazine "Business Insider". He called it wrong to only look at large companies for corona-related support measures because they are supposedly systemically important. "There is a lot to do so that society has a good future and does not fall apart. We will not achieve this if we only look at the big ones. The best example is gastronomy: It is not a key sector like the automotive industry, but it is for that Interpersonal and the quality of life on site is extremely important. "
A "car summit" with Chancellor Angela Merkel is planned for this Tuesday. The industry is demanding government aid in the face of the severe burdens caused by the corona crisis, but Merkel said on Thursday that the industry could not count on special incentives. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) pleads for an "innovation bonus" that ties purchase bonuses to climate protection. On Monday he wants to talk to his colleagues from Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony about it.
The CEO of Volkswagen AG, Herbert Diess, urged politicians to take rapid decisions with a view to the economic downturn. "The next few weeks will be crucial," said Diess of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung". "Therefore, no fundamental discussions, but focus on the economy and pace. Otherwise, we will run out of time."
He said of a premium that this should not only apply to electric cars: "We need the premium regardless of the type of drive, for the entire product range."