EU vote on combustion engines: Lindner contradicts Lemke

Today, the EU Council of Ministers is voting on a ban on passenger car combustion engines from 2035. Environment Minister Lemke wants to vote yes, Finance Minister Linder disagrees. Due to the disagreement of the traffic light government, the German abstention threatens.

Shortly before the vote on an EU-wide ban on internal combustion engines in new cars from 2035, there is a heated argument within the federal government. Finance Minister Christian Lindner rejected the latest statements by Environment Minister Steffi Lemke. “Today’s statements by the environment minister are surprising because they do not correspond to the current agreements,” said the FDP chairman of the dpa news agency.

“Combustion engines with CO2-free fuels should also be possible as a technology in all vehicles after 2035.” The approval of fleet limits is bound to this. “The ministries led by the FDP have therefore not yet approved voting behavior by the federal government,” explained Lindner.

Lemke wants to agree to a ban on combustion engines

He was reacting to statements by the Green politician in the common Morning magazine from ARD and ZDF. Lemke said there: “If the package includes what we want, no cars that emit CO2 after 2035, then we will agree.” It’s about promoting the switch to electromobility. That is the line that the government has “represented here in the past few weeks and months, which is also laid down in the coalition agreement”.

Shortly before the start of the EU Council of Ministers meeting, Lemke and Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who was also present, reaffirmed their positive attitude towards the end of combustion engines. When asked whether the German governing coalition had agreed on a common position, Habeck and Lemke nodded. “Well, it’s a day when we go in well prepared, as the German government voted, prepared, go in, but of course we also know that we have a key role to play in Europe, that it will be a successful day in the end,” said Habeck.

Traffic light dispute threatens German abstention

The European Commission’s proposal stipulates that from 2035 the EU should only register new private cars and light commercial vehicles without diesel or petrol engines. By 2035, the new car fleet of the car manufacturers should emit 100 percent fewer emissions than in 2021.

The EU Parliament has already spoken out in favor of a ban on new combustion engines from 2035. Should the member states adopt this attitude, the way would be clear for the project. Lindner’s current objection and the resulting disagreement within the traffic light government could now lead to Germany abstaining from the vote.

Lemke speaks of a compromise

In March, on the other hand, it still seemed clear: the federal government supports a ban on combustion engines, but then the FDP vetoed it and called for combustion engines to continue to be allowed if they are fueled with synthetic fuels. The Greens reject these so-called e-fuels, which can be produced with electricity from renewable sources.

Lemke had in morning magazine indicated that a compromise has now been found in this regard: “We have agreed that it will be worked out more clearly that there are areas in which other technologies – i.e. not in the passenger car area – other technologies can also be used after 2035 “said the Environment Minister. This means that e-fuels could be allowed, but not for cars, but for airplanes and fire engines.

Resistance also from other EU countries

Even if Germany cannot determine the position of the EU countries on its own, other states will be watching closely how Lemke is positioning himself in Luxembourg today. “It is likely that others will follow if Berlin does not vote for a ban on new cars with internal combustion engines by 2035,” an EU diplomat recently told the dpa news agency. An opinion shared by other experts.

Several EU countries want to postpone the end of combustion engines by five years to 2040 and support a corresponding push from Italy. Bulgaria and Portugal, for example, but also Romania and Slovakia, and Hungary could also be there.

Should Germany abstain from the traffic light coalition because of the dispute, a temporary failure of the previous plans would be quite possible. Because voting is based on the qualified majority system, states can block the bill if they together represent more than 35 percent of the EU population. If Germany doesn’t say yes, that would be the case. Then the Commission, the EU Parliament and the member states would have to look for a new compromise.

Habeck: “Europe is a living compromise machine”

The Green Climate and Economics Minister Robert Habeck indicated on Monday that he was willing to compromise on the combustion engine issue without giving any further details: “Europe is a living compromise machine, and we are working on it,” said Habeck. A good solution had to be found for the various “special perspectives” of different EU countries, he explained.