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Today, Transport Minister Scheuer has to give explanations to the Toll-U Committee. Was the procedure correct? The representatives of the operating companies charged the sick CSU politician with their statements.
The originally planned operator of the car tollbooth has opposed federal transport minister Andreas Scheuer on key points. The project “went well to the end,” the managing director of the Autoticket joint venture, Volker Schneble, told the Bundestag’s investigation committee. Until the contract was terminated shortly after the European Union Court of Justice (ECJ) stopped the toll in June 2019, the project’s traffic lights were “constantly green”. According to Schneble, chief of auto fines, the firing by the federal government was spontaneous and politically motivated. “That was a short-circuit reaction.”
In addition to the ruling, the ministry had mentioned poor performance and problems in cooperation for completion. The reasons for the termination are important to the ongoing arbitration proceedings between Autoticket shareholders and the federal government. The companies claim compensation of 560 million euros. The federal government strictly rejects it and notes that in the event of termination for various reasons, the company would not be entitled to contractual claims.
Autoticket wants to have offered a project stop
Schneble confirmed the information in a note created by him that the operator had offered in a conversation with Scheuer on November 29, 2018, to await the ruling of the ECJ and temporarily interrupt the project.
Schneble explained as motivation that the ministry could have had more time to achieve a higher financial framework for the project in the Bundestag. In September 2019, in the Bundestag, Scheuer responded to questions from members of the Bundestag that such a standby offer “was not a problem” in this conversation.
“Come out headless and in a hurry”
The opposition demanded clarity from Scheuer, who is also expected to be heard as a witness. “After the statement, it is completely clear that Scheuer simply resigned due to the ECJ ruling without a headache and hastily,” said FDP transportation politician Oliver Luksic. Schneble credibly described that there was an offer to postpone the signing of the contract until after the ECJ ruling. It is not only the FDP that accuses Scheuer of having concluded the far-reaching contracts at the end of 2019, before there was legal certainty in the ECJ proceedings.
The CSU tried to support the department head. Scheuer is Minister of Transport and remains Minister of Transport, said Union President Ulrich Lange (CSU). Even before the meeting he expressed “considerable doubts” about the note presented by Schneble. “The witness did not attend the appointment that he supposedly remembers.” Plus, he only took notice two years later.
Eventim boss supports Schnebel’s statement
Not only Schneble contradicted Scheuer, but also Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, the head of CTS Eventim, one of the shareholders of the Autoticket joint venture. He was personally present at the November 2018 meeting, where he offered the minister to wait until the Court of Justice ruled before signing the contracts.
However, he decidedly refused, Schulenberg said. Scheuer said starting the car toll in election year 2021 would be unacceptable and that the toll should start in 2020. He made it clear that there were several reports in the ministry that “unanimously and clearly” classified the car toll as compliant.
What’s next for Scheuer?
CSU boss Markus Söder is still holding on to Scheuer. Possibly also because Scheuer does not harm either the CSU or the CDU by passing it. So why take off the Scheuer? Until the end of the legislative period, he himself can pay the toll fiasco. However, it is unlikely there will still be a free place for Scheuer at the cabinet table after next year’s general election.
