EU ban on combustion engine cars pushes German government into disarray

A European Union (EU)-wide ban on combustion engines in vehicles have thrown Germany in disarray, with the country's three-party governing alliance clashing over it. Germany's Green party has blamed its liberal coalition parties for ruining the country's reputation by blocking the EU ban which aims to discontinue the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035 to tackle climate change and simultaneously boost the transition to electric vehicles, The Guardian reported. 

At a meeting held by the Green party’s parliamentary group in the city of Weimar on Tuesday, German Vice-chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said: “You can’t have a coalition of progress where only one party is in charge of progress and the others try to stop the progress." According to Habeck, the Free Democratic party’s (FDP) opposition to the EU's plans has put Germany's reputation in jeopardy. “We are losing debates, we are getting too little support for our projects," he said ahead of a Brussels summit that will see European leaders attempt to resolve the conflict on Thursday and Friday.

Germany's FDP defends its adamant stance 

But the clash in the German government has not only spurred concerns in Berlin, but also in other European capitals. Many fear that the country's defiance would, in turn, prompt others to act similarly. As the Green Party blames FDP, the latter argues that the phase-out would pose a major existential threat to Germany's booming manufacturing industry which has the potential to yield climate-neutral fuels as an alternative to electric cars. 

“We in Germany master the technology of the combustion engine better than anyone else in the world. And it makes sense to keep this technology in our hands while some of the questions around climate-neutral mobility remain unanswered," said FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing. So far, the ministry has been unresponsive to a proposed negotiation by the European Commission about criteria for a new category of CO2-neutral fuel-powered vehicles that could function even after 2035.