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Green chancellor visions: Baerbock reveals plans for taxes and short-haul flights - aviation industry: "Inapplicable!"

2021-05-20T16:18:16.634Z


The Green candidate Baerbock is for a solar roof obligation and tax increases. Criticism comes at their push for short-haul flights.


The Green candidate Baerbock is for a solar roof obligation and tax increases.

Criticism comes at their push for short-haul flights.

  • Annalena Baerbock * specifies content-related positions in an interview

    (see first report).

  • The Union and FDP, among others, reacted quickly to the point "Abolish short-haul flights"

    (see update from May 16, 3:41 pm).

  • The German aviation industry accuses you of misinformation

    (see update from May 16, 6.30 p.m.).

    Baerbock reacts again

    (see update from May 17, 3:15 p.m.).

Update from May 17, 3:15 p.m.:

The plans of Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock to abolish short-haul flights caused a stir

(see previous updates)

. On Monday, she made it clear in a press conference: "It's not about banning flights, but about the fact that we have to massively advance the expansion of the railways." Traveling by rail must become much more comfortable for short distances. With the help of train path price reductions, for example, tickets could be cheaper, short-haul flights reduced and dumping offers for flights put in place. She also defined the term “short haul”: By that she meant domestic flights, such as the Berlin-Munich route, which the ICE Sprinter could cover in four hours, explained Baerbock.

The expansion and modernization of the rail network in Germany is a long-term project, but: "That is why it is so crucial that we act now," emphasized Baerbock.

Kerosene taxation or lowering train path prices are short-term options.

Shortly before Baerbock's appearance, CDU boss Armin Laschet took the Greens' flight demands as an occasion for a scolding *: It was a "typical Green demand", he criticized - many questions were open.

German aviation industry reacts to Baerbock's move: kerosene tax does not reduce emissions

Update from May 16, 6.30 p.m.:

The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry is angry about the Greens traffic plans - and accuses Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock of misinformation. Baerbock made allegations that were "inaccurate" and did not stand up to a fact check, the association said in a tripartite statement on Sunday. In an interview with

Bild am Sonntag

, the

Green politician

announced, among other things, that she wanted to abolish short-haul flights in the future and that she had promoted “climate-friendly taxation of flights”.

The German aviation industry, on the other hand, holds that an additional kerosene tax “would not reduce emissions”.

Such a tax would "shift air traffic to locations on the Bosporus and in the Middle East at the expense of German companies and jobs," the statement said.

The currently applicable air traffic tax is "the more suitable pricing instrument".

In addition, the association argues that taxes and duties on air traffic have "increased steadily in recent years" without preventing dumping prices.

Rather, the federal government must advocate EU regulation that prevents cheap prices.

"It should in future be prohibited across the EU to sell airline tickets at a price below the applicable taxes, surcharges, fees and charges," the statement said.


The association also sharply criticized Baerbock's proposal to abolish short-haul flights.

Domestic German flights are "part of an international flight connection in which travelers fly from Hamburg via Frankfurt to Bangkok," said the association.

A ban on such connections would only mean that such transfer passengers would no longer use German, but foreign air traffic hubs for their long-haul connections, it said.

"So we would still fly, just not with German airlines and in many cases even with detours."

Greens: Baerbock makes air travel push - two possible coalition partners are against

Update from May 16, 3:41 p.m

.: Green leader Annalena Baerbock's proposal to make air travel more expensive (see initial report) has met with criticism from the CDU and FDP - and thus two potential coalition partners. It is "clear" that air traffic has to make its contribution to climate protection, said Union parliamentary group vice-president Ulrich Lange to the

RND

newspapers (Monday edition). "A ban on short-haul flights and massive price increases in air traffic are the wrong approach," added the CSU politician. It would be "unsocial if the flight on vacation were a privilege for the wealthy".

FDP parliamentary director Marco Buschmann called Baerbock's proposal an example of the Greens' “ban fetish”. "We do not want any micro-management of daily life by Ms. Baerbock," said Buschmann of the

Saarbrücker Zeitung

(Monday edition). People and businesses need leeway and flexibility in climate policy too. "It would be better to put a tight cap on Germany's CO2 emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement," said Buschmann. "How they are then used, we can leave supply and demand."

Criticism also came from FDP parliamentary group vice Michael Theurer.

"The goal of climate protection policy should be to protect the climate," he said on Sunday.

"Instead, the Greens are once again focusing on making people's lives more expensive, controlling them and banning them from enjoying life." It would be better to focus on climate-neutral future technologies and EU emissions trading as an incentive system, says Theurer.

Green Chancellor candidate Baerbock for the abolition of short-haul flights

First report from May 16

: Berlin - “Hardly a family flies to Mallorca for 29 euros.

In the holiday season, the ticket prices are significantly higher ”: Annalena Baerbock * wants to fight for the abolition of short-haul flights in the event of a government takeover.

If you are serious about climate policy, cheap prices should no longer exist.

That said the Chancellor candidate * the Greens * the

picture on Sunday.

“Everyone can go on vacation wherever they want.

But climate-friendly taxation of flights would stop such dumping prices. "

The Greens leader said it was not fair when taxpayers' money subsidized kerosene, while long-distance train journeys were expensive, especially at peak times.

"If you travel as a family by train, you should pay less than for the short distance on the plane," she said.

"And yes, there should no longer be short-haul flights in perspective."

Baerbock reveals Chancellor's plans: tax increases and solar roof compulsory

In addition, her party wants to relieve the burden on low-wage earners, and to raise the top tax rate by three percentage points to 45 percent for everyone who earns more than 100,000 euros a year.

For married couples, the limit should be 200,000 euros.

From 250,000 euros or 500,000 euros, a rate of 48 percent is then considered.

The first law that she would put in motion as Chancellor would be an “immediate climate protection program”.

She also announced that it would enforce compulsory solar systems for new buildings: "In future, Germany will have to rule that, as a rule, new buildings will only be built with a solar roof."

Baerbock on possible coalition partners of the Greens: "Except of course the AfD"

Baerbock did not want to reveal her coalition partner preferences in the interview: “If we were to become the strongest force, we would invite all democratic parties to talks with which a majority would be possible.

Except of course the AfD. "

When asked whether she considered the left * to be capable of governing, the 40-year-old replied that she had “a great deal of dissent” with parts of the party, including regarding her overly indulgent attitude towards authoritarian regimes like Russia.

But parts of the CDU / CSU are "not crystal clear", she said, referring to their support for Nord Stream 2. In the interview, Baerbock also commented on her family plans in the event of an election victory *.

(frs with material from dpa) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.

List of rubric lists: © Christian Spicker / Imago

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-05-20

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