The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

IAA organizers do not let car critical mayors talk

2019-09-12T14:04:29.109Z


Frankfurt City Mayor Peter Feldmann did not speak at the IAA opening - officially for reasons of time. His speech was published by the auto industry critic anyway.



As well as Chancellor Angela Merkel, Frankfurt's Lord Mayor has spoken for a few words on the opening day of the IAA for many years. However, a few days ago, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), organizer of the fair, informed the mayor Peter Feldmann that he had no speaking time this year. The official statement of the association: Lack of time.

But the mayor has long been known for his critical attitude towards the automotive industry and his commitment to a sustainable climate policy. Already two years ago, Feldmann spoke at the IAA about the need to "rethink" the subject of cars and spoke of an impending traffic collapse. "For decades, paradigms have been bigger, faster, more comfortable, and that needs to change in the future," he said.

From Feldmann's circle, who is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, one hears that it was then at the IAA 2017, a scandal between the OB and the organizers of the fair came.

VDA denies Feldmann's invitation

The VDA claims that he never invited Feldmann to speak at this year's IAA. The fair has an international focus this year, which is why the list of speakers had to be limited.

The office manager of the Lord Mayor, on the other hand, claims that there was an invitation that the VDA suddenly withdrew ten days ago. The VDA therefore asked for understanding, "that we will stay with the planned new concept and an additional message of greeting is unfortunately no longer possible in time".

Thus, the VDA apparently actually saved an affront. For Feldmann had also prepared a critical speech for this year's IAA, which was not yet known to the VDA at the time of the cancellation. In it Feldmann again criticized the auto industry and even finds words of praise for protests by environmental activists.

OB praises environmental activists

In relation to the diesel scandal Feldmann rushes right at the beginning of his speech published on Facebook against the manufacturer. It needs "an automotive industry that complies with the law", is in the speech manuscript. And further: "We prove that German innovation is not to circumvent legal requirements, but to develop the most environmentally friendly and sustainable products."

Feldmann also criticizes the currently heavily debated SUV and calls on the industry to rethink mobility. "Frankfurt needs more buses and trains, but not more SUV." It could not be that more and more parking garages would be built because the cars had become increasingly too large for the existing parking spaces. "We need a mobility turnaround to stop climate change," Feldmann continues. It needs an ecological transformation of the industry, where no one is left behind, neither the consumers nor the employees of the industry, but also the environment.

photo gallery


23 pictures

The novelties of the IAA 2019: Fat SUV and sweet little one

Finally, Feldmann thanks for the demonstrations at the IAA: "As Lord Mayor, I am grateful to all who participate in demonstrations, because they are not primarily for their own good, but for a good future for us all and the fight against the Climate change is working. " This mission is not naive, but urgently necessary. One should not regard the use of the many young people against climate change as a threat, but as a great opportunity.

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2019-09-12

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-08T02:47:05.855Z

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.