Government Proposals Intended to Fight Unemployment Crisis
In a joint letter, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg, and Hubert Aiwanger, Minister of Economic Affairs and Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria, have appealed to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to reconsider a proposed mandatory electrification of service and rental cars by 2030.
The ministers express concerns that such a regulation could undermine the efforts to stabilize and strengthen the European and German automobile locations. Aiwanger, in particular, believes that a mandatory switch to electric vehicles would be a mistake, and that mastering the transformation and securing the German automobile location requires facilitating, not braking, investments in climate-friendly technologies.
Aiwanger also advocates for openness to all technologies, including synthetic fuels, hydrogen, and efficient hybrid solutions. He emphasises the need to strengthen the innovative power of industry and facilitate investments in climate-friendly technologies, ensuring that companies' financial scope for investments in innovation and transformation is not restricted.
Dr. Hoffmeister-Kraut shares similar sentiments, demanding consistent action that takes into account technological openness, especially considering the international competitive situation. She has succeeded in getting the EU to accommodate manufacturers facing imminent penalty payments for missing CO2 fleet limits.
The ministers are also concerned about the potential impact on thousands of jobs in the automobile industry. Aiwanger believes that new regulations and bans could put medium-sized businesses and jobs in the supply industry at risk. He stresses that bureaucracy should not hinder investments in climate-friendly technologies.
The Economic Ministers' Conference in June 2025, chaired by Dr. Hoffmeister-Kraut, has committed to the automobile location Germany and its jobs. The specific Bundestag members who signed an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen expressing concern over a possible proposal to mandate electrification of rental and company cars by 2030, along with their alternative suggestions for climate protection measures in the automotive industry, are not identified in the available search results. However, there is mention of an open letter signed on September 8, 2025, by 150 companies from the electric vehicle sector addressed to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging not to reverse the combustion engine phase-out. No Bundestag deputies are named, nor are specific alternative proposals detailed.
Despite these concerns, both ministers welcome the additional flexibility granted at EU level for complying with the currently valid CO2 fleet limits. They believe that this flexibility will allow for a more balanced approach to climate protection and the preservation of jobs in the automobile industry.
