A few months after you had passed Gerhard Schröder in 2005, the office of the Chancellor has been Angela Merkel asked, when are you going to take your predecessor in the title of the car Registrar. “He can keep,” she answered, dry. However, to be auto-Chancellor, is not a question of intent – it will be automatically. To important the industry is for the economic well-being, than that a government should devote their special attention.
Schröder’s and Merkel’s personal relationship to the car could hardly be more different. The Registrar had fun, limousines such as for advertising purposes to show and demonstrate to photos behind the steering Wheel of leadership; the Chancellor asks for a couple of visits more to technologies, in terms of how many women work in a factory or whether you can transport on the loading area of a VW Caddy and also tree trunks out of your garden. Nevertheless, Schröder and Merkel have always had a open ear for the needs of the auto industry both in economic Distress, as well as if it was to protect you from stress.
The recovery plan for the Corona-crisis, the Grand coalition has shown finally that the importance of an industry is not to be equated in order to let her all the like. The waiver of a sales premium for vehicles with an internal combustion engine describes an almost historical turning point in the relationship between politics and the auto industry. Whether Merkel has operated this decision actively, or only the pressure in the coalition bent, is of secondary importance. In any case, the Chancellor has not made their political weight, ultimately for the benefit of the car industry, as this was used from the past, and probably this time again expected. And that is a good thing.
Schadenfreude is prohibited anyway – especially since the damage was limited: After all, there is still research billion and any amount of money for the benefit of the E-mobility. Also from the reduction of the VAT, the car industry can benefit. Your workers would, however, wish that you were represented in the crisis to the outside, rather than by individual group bosses such as VW chief Herbert Diess or functionaries, such as the auto-Association-President Hildegard Müller, both of which are used with excessive demands and self-righteous appearances of their cause more harm than good.
The waiver of purchase premium strengthens the confidence in the policy
The car industry has an image problem. The discrepancy between economic impact and public standing is pronounced since the exhaust gas scandal extremely. Never before has there been in politics a critical Front, the United as now, the economic stimulus program so contrary personalities, such as the SPD-Head of Saskia esque and the CDU medium-sized company, Carsten Linnemann.
Also the close connection of politics and the car lobby, for the Hildegard Müller, Ex-Minister of state in the Chancellery is not alone, but lifted out is fuelling the suspicion of non-transparent wheeling and dealing. The waiver of the purchase premium has, therefore, a democracy hygienic aspect: It just strengthens the confidence in the policy, if not the loudest and best connected sector through.