Merkel disposes of strongest dissent with Greens

With her remarks on the “right approach” of banning combustion engine cars sometime in the future, German Chancellor Angela Merkel not only “captured an election topic for herself”, but also “disposed of the strongest dissent with the Green Party for a possible coalition after the elections”, writes Markus Balser in Süddeutsche Zeitung. However, in a letter to Merkel, seen by Süddeutsche, Green Party frontrunners Cem Özdemir and Katrin Göring-Eckardt criticise the government for being “much too hesitant” with the transport transition and call on the chancellor to “bring her policy in line with her rhetorical targets”, writes Balser.

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the CLEW factsheet The debate over an end to combustion engines in Germany and the 2017 federal elections dossier.