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The designated Transport Minister Volker Wissing, here still on the way to the coalition negotiations
Photo: Chris Emil Janssen / imago images / Chris Emil Janssen
The advance of the future Minister of Transport Volker Wissing (FDP) for lower vehicle taxes on diesel cars is increasingly burdening the future traffic light coalition.
After the Greens were initially outraged by Wissing, the SPD is now also distancing itself - but at the same time offends the eco-party with its justification.
The coalition agreement only stipulates that the vehicle tax will be checked if the levies on diesel fuel rise, said SPD parliamentary group vice-president Achim Post of "Welt".
"The coalition agreement does not provide for taxes on diesel fuel to be increased."
That, in turn, should upset the Greens - they firmly expect the energy tax on diesel to rise, so it was agreed.
"The coalition agreement provides for an adjustment of diesel costs to gasoline costs," said Green traffic expert Stefan Gelbhaar to SPIEGEL.
The FDP had agreed to this, and Wissing would also have to adhere to it, emphasized the transport policy spokesman for the Green parliamentary group.
Parliament would also have to decide on a new version of the vehicle tax.
In the coalition agreement, only a test order is formulated.
The fact that the SPD may not want to know anything about higher diesel taxes makes the situation more difficult for the Greens.
And it reinforces the impression that Social Democrats and Liberals are doing common cause against them, especially on the subject of transport.
Misunderstood Wissing's words?
Wissing had warned in the "Bild" newspaper on Saturday of additional burdens for diesel vehicles and their drivers and said: "The FDP will ensure that higher energy taxes on diesel fuels are offset by lower vehicle taxes." the small companies that are still dependent on diesel vehicles.
Specifically, Wissing named delivery services and craftsmen.
The Greens were outraged, although Wissing had not explicitly questioned higher diesel fuel taxes, but only addressed a possible compensation via the vehicle tax, which is also mentioned in the coalition agreement.
"The coalition agreement does not provide that," said Green politician Gelbhaar.
The traffic light parties agreed on a vaguely worded statement in the coalition agreement: "With the implementation of the EU Energy Tax Directive, which provides for the tax harmonization of diesel fuel and petrol, we will review the tax treatment of diesel vehicles in the vehicle tax."
Criticism of Wissing also came from the spokesman for rail policy in the Green parliamentary group, Matthias Gastel. He wrote on Twitter: "A future traffic light transport minister should first and foremost be an advocate for trains, buses and bicycles." He should rely on alternative, innovative drives "instead of looking backwards and forgetting about the future on fossil fuels."
Baden-Württemberg's Green State Transport Minister Winfried Hermann also referred to the coalition agreement. In this, "in connection with the alignment of diesel and petrol taxes, there is only an inspection order, but not an order to lower the vehicle tax," Hermann told the "Welt". "The designated transport minister should first and foremost be concerned about how CO2 emissions can be reduced in the transport sector and how diesel vehicles can be replaced by zero-emission vehicles," he advised Wissing.
The Green parliamentary group leader in Lower Saxony's state parliament, Julia Willie Hamburg, told the newspaper: “The fact that the designated transport minister is already calling himself an advocate for cars and wants to lower diesel prices and vehicle taxes for combustion engines is a blow to the traffic light government has not even started work. "She added:" Acting like this is polarizing and not unifying. "
At the green base and with alleged Green voters, the anger against Wissing also boiled over the weekend - but also against the party leadership, which the Ministry of Transport had left to the liberals.
Most of them overlooked the fact that Wissing had gotten involved rather vaguely and had basically not questioned the planned higher diesel fuel tax, but rather presented it as given.
nis / AFP
