"I wish Scheuer back" - Volker Wissing is getting more and more criticism
Created: 2022-06-20 17:31
By: Markus Hofstetter
Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, has not achieved much so far.
(Photo from June 1, 2022) © Britta Pedersen/dpa/picture alliance
Transport Minister Volker Wissing does not have an easy time. This is also shown by the fact that he is compared to his predecessor Scheuer and gets off badly.
Berlin – Volker Wissing (FDP) has been Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport in the cabinet of Olaf Scholz (SPD) since December 8, 2021.
Wissing is no newbie in the political business, even when it comes to his current area of responsibility, he can show experience.
In Rhineland-Palatinate he was Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture under Malu Dreyer (SPD) from May 2016 to May 2021.
Despite his impressive curriculum vitae, Wissing does not seem to have really settled into his ministry.
According to
Business Insider
, experts from associations, companies, employees of the Ministry of Transport and transport politicians from federal and state governments say that although he is nice and an attentive listener, he has little to offer technically and is undecided.
According to the news site, a traffic expert from a state ministry is said to have even said: "I would never have dreamed of that, but I wish Scheuer back." The CSU federal minister is primarily remembered as the cause of the car toll debacle.
Minister of Transport Volker Wissing: Brake at the Germany clock
There are many reasons why Wissing is so poorly received.
So he does little to secure the future of Deutsche Bahn, which is of essential importance for the climate change of the federal government.
Passenger numbers are to be doubled by 2030.
But there are many construction sites, in the truest sense of the word.
The infrastructure has a great need for investment and the digitization of the rail nodes is faltering.
Nevertheless, according to
Business Insider
, Wissing closed a previously responsible office with six employees, which worked under his predecessor Scheuer for the rail transport officer in the Ministry of Transport, in February of this year.
In addition, from the point of view of the industry and associations, the minister is slowing down the Germany cycle in rail traffic.
In the digital sector, Wissing only recently suffered a serious setback.
When it comes to digitization, he has to coordinate with other departments and is not allowed to manage the budget for it himself.
This emerges from a strategy paper by the Federal Chancellery.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing: Differences with colleagues from the federal and state governments
The General German Bicycle Club ADFC also seems to be at odds with Wissing.
"We have the suspicion that the FDP car traffic is more important than a traffic turnaround in favor of bike, foot and train,"
Business Insider
quoted the ADFC federal manager Ann-Kathrin Schneider.
In addition, there is still no signal from Wissing as to whether the federal government wants to stabilize funding for cycling.
What do these traffic signs mean?
View photo gallery
Apparently, Wissing doesn't get along too well with colleagues in the federal states and in the Bundestag.
The consultations about the 9-euro ticket between Wissing and the transport ministers of the federal states were high in places.
According to
Business Insider
, a country colleague asked Wissing for an appointment in the spring and was put off until the summer.
According to some, Scheuer has at least not strained the conversation threads with the federal states.
Transport politicians also report that the minister rarely attends the transport committee, and when he does, he shows up too late.
When asked, Wissing seemed unprepared.
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Transport Minister Volker Wissing: Communication leaves a lot to be desired
Wissing's department does not excel in external communication either.
Opposition politicians complain that their answers to small inquiries are scarce and a long time coming.
Overall, Wissing does not come up.
On its credit side are the bridge summit, after which the renovation backlog of 4000 motorway bridges is to be solved, and the so-called "rail bridge", on which refugees from the Ukraine conflict are transported from Poland to Germany.
But Wissing still has time to make a name for itself with other projects.
If nothing comes up, his term of office will last until autumn 2025.
