French Transport Minister Clément Beaune has called on Germany to support a ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars in the European Union in 2035, after Berlin announced its abstention on this crucial part of the EU’s climate plan. In an interview with the news channel LCI, Beaune said it is crucial to keep this goal for the French and German industry. He also criticized what he called a “form of slingshot” from Berlin.
German Liberals oppose the ban on combustion engines
The Berlin blockade is an initiative of the liberal FDP, of which the German Transport Minister Volker Wissing is a member. This small party, with about 5% of the vote in national polls, has lost five consecutive regional elections. He hopes to assert himself against the environmentalists by posing as a defender of the automobile, betting on the hostility of a large part of the population to the ban on combustion engines.
The importance of the goal for the industry and the environment
Mr. Beaune warned that if the target is not maintained, France and Europe will be swept away industrially and environmentally. He also stressed that “it is not by giving counter-signals that we will succeed in creating this electric car accessible to all”. The text, which will in fact impose 100% electric engines, was the subject of an agreement between Member States and European Parliament negotiators in October, and was formally approved in mid-February by MEPs meeting in plenary. It can no longer be modified.
Return on a crucial objective
Mr. Beaune pleaded for a return to the objective of banning combustion engines in 2035, which had been supported by Germany when it was agreed during the French presidency of the European Union. He says this goal is very important for the industry and for the environment, and maintaining it is crucial to the future of the electric car.
