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Lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD)
Photo: Sina Schuldt / dpa
The Greens long for it, Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) doesn't want to know anything about it: the speed limit is currently not a topic of conversation at traffic lights.
Now the Greens get support from the SPD.
Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil has reiterated his call for a general speed limit on German autobahns.
“In any case, the mobility sector must make a greater contribution to reducing CO2.
A speed limit would help," said the SPD politician, who had previously advocated a maximum limit of 130 kilometers per hour, of the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".
"I'm going to buy a new car and it will be an electric car"
At the same time, the head of government announced that he intends to part with his current private car this year – a nine-year-old VW Golf with a petrol engine.
»Actually, I wanted to switch to an electric car before Corona, but simply didn't get around to it as a result of the pandemic and other crises.
It's one of my resolutions for this year: I'm going to buy a new car, and it will be an electric car,” said Weil.
Professionally, Weil travels in a hybrid sedan.
Switching to a purely electric vehicle is not yet possible because of the range.
But that will change in the foreseeable future.
While Weil repeatedly emphasizes that he wants to remain in office for the entire legislative period, the 64-year-old leaves his future as chairman of the Lower Saxony SPD open.
When asked whether he would stand again at the party conference at the end of June, the top politician replied: "It's a long way off.
We talk about it internally and then decide.«
Dealing with the speed limit in traffic lights is controversial.
Transport Minister Wissing is committed to relaxing the strict rules of the Climate Protection Act.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) insists that there will be no softening until the federal government's immediate climate protection program is in place.
At their meeting last week, the Greens faction brought up a number of measures, including a change in vehicle tax and company car taxation in addition to the speed limit.
These are to be changed in such a way that the purchase of climate-damaging combustion cars becomes more expensive and climate-friendly electric cars become more attractive.
The FDP rejects such measures.
mrc/dpa
