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After contradicting the statements of the Minister of Transport Scheuer in the toll investigation committee, the opposition calls for his resignation. The SPD is also hardening the tone: CSU chief Söder “can’t dodge anymore.”
After questioning in the investigation committee on the toll of blown up cars, the FDP, the Left Party and the Federal Minister of Transport of the Greens, Andreas Scheuer, suggested the resignation. Opposition parties criticized the CSU politician’s statements as inadequate and incomplete. They want to question all the witnesses.
The SPD, which governs in coalition with the CDU and the CSU, was initially cautious. SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil has now found clearer words. The conflicting statements by Scheuer and the companies interested in the committee have not created any clarity, he said. “These are very serious accusations against the minister and great harm to taxpayers.” The SPD will continue to insist that the allegations be clarified. “Each party decides who sits in the cabinet as minister,” Klingbeil said. CSU boss Markus Söder “could no longer bend over.”
Scheuer had rejected the central accusations in the committee. According to his report, the companies did not offer to postpone the conclusion of the operator contract until the Court of Justice of the European Communities (CJEU) rules, he said during questioning on Friday night.
The minister and company representatives were fundamentally contradicting each other: three managers of the operating companies had previously informed the committee about such an offer, but Scheuer rejected it.
The minister is accused of having concluded the contracts at the end of 2018 before legal certainty existed. The toll was already in the ECJ, which gave it a tip in June 2019 because it hurt foreign drivers. Immediately after the ruling, the federal government terminated the contracts. The operators now demand a high compensation that the taxpayer would have to pay.
Greens: “Minister becomes a burden”
The harsh criticism came from the Greens. “A decent minister would have resigned a long time ago,” said green traffic expert Stephan Kühn. “The minister is becoming more and more a burden on the entire federal government and therefore should draw the conclusions.” Scheuer’s statements about the signing and subsequent termination of the contracts with the planned toll operators did not satisfy Kühn according to his own statements.
Scheuer was unable to “relieve himself” and “is still in difficult waters,” said the green politician. “The toll operators have plausibly and credibly presented that there was an offer to wait until the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled before signing the toll contracts.”
FDP: Cross-examination could be “extremely embarrassing”
The FDP also described as credible the statements of the company’s representatives before the investigation commission. “He has described in great detail what happened there,” said FDP President Christian Jung im ARD morning magazine. In view of the huge contradictions, the Greens, the FDP and the Left Party now want to jointly request a cross-examination in the form of a comparison between Scheuer and company representatives. Cross-examination could be “extremely embarrassing” for Scheuer and the CSU, “because then it can show the total doubt of the party,” Jung said.
SPD president: statement against statement
SPD chairwoman on the investigation committee, Kirsten Lühmann, sees no evidence that Scheuer lied about her conversations with the operating companies. Company representatives could have explained “very conclusively” how the conversations were from their point of view, she said in. SWR. On the other hand, Scheuer and his former Secretary of State, also questioned, repeatedly pointed out “memory gaps.” However, now there is a statement against a statement.
Lühmann was skeptical about the cross-examination requested by the opposition. If Scheuer refers to gaps in memory, the presence of the other party will not change anything, the SPD president said.
It is quite uncertain whether the desired cross-examination will take place. Because for this also the opposition would need the support of the SPD. From the point of view of the president of the Union, Ulrich Lange, Scheuer is free of responsibility: “We are satisfied”.
With material by Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio
