With the nine-euro ticket, Deutsche Bahn receives increased attention, which, to their chagrin, also applies to negative points. For years, the state-owned company avoided modernizing the aging rail network. The Federal Court of Auditors complained that Deutsche Bahn was holding back profits. This may also have something to do with the fiasco in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where three wagons derailed on Friday and five people died and at least 40 were injured.
There are increasing indications of a technical defect on the track bed, the public prosecutor’s office is apparently investigating against the person responsible for the route. According to information from the newspaper “Welt”, renovation work should be carried out on the affected section of track from June 25th, a “correction of the track position” plus rail renewal. Compared to the railway system in Switzerland, for example, the German offer is a rumble event, even if the record sum of 14 billion euros is invested in 2022.
When European politicians and managers talk about China, the not-so-easy-to-pronounce word “reciprocity” is booming. It says: You only allow what the other also allows. In the Handelsblatt interview, the Green Minister President Winfried Kretschmann and Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius attempted the trick of wanting to take over the majority in China’s automotive joint venture with the Baic group on the one hand, but on the other hand to expand their own protective wall against praising Chinese investors.
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It’s all a bit crooked. Baic himself is just ahead of Eric Li, founder of Geely (“Volvo”), Mercedes’ largest shareholder. Now the duo has to see how the Germans shut down on this topic. For Kretschmann, it is completely unthinkable that the Chinese could one day get a blocking minority at Mercedes. And he recalls the sale of a technology company to China six years ago: “We will certainly not make a mistake similar to that made by the robot manufacturer Kuka.”
The guests were able to enjoy an evening of talks with Angela Merkel yesterday in the Berliner Ensemble. It was the first appearance of this kind after her departure as Chancellor. Apparently she skilfully alternated between humorous interludes and Kissinger-esque worldviews.
- Merkel does not blame herself when asked whether she could have prevented the Ukraine war with other measures. But she also said: “It was not possible to create a security architecture that could have prevented this.” She considers the situation itself to be a “great tragedy”.
- According to her own account, Merkel dealt with the consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union during all of her 16 years as chancellor. When Vladimir Putin complained to her in Sochi in 2007 that this decline was the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century, she replied that the fall of the wall was the greatest blessing for her because afterwards she had the freedom to do what she wanted she’s having fun. Merkel pleads for more military deterrence against Russia: “That’s the only language Putin understands.”
- Merkel absolutely does not want to be noticed as Deputy Chancellor: “It is not my job to make comments from the sidelines.” For example when it came to the Bundeswehr, which was in a catastrophic state. The only thing the CDU politician agreed to was the sentence: “The Bundeswehr has some catching up to do.”
When it comes to explanations about her office and her time out of office, she obviously has some catching up to do.
Car managers are now looking spellbound to Brussels. The MEPs decide whether to follow the environmental committee – and then decide that only electrically powered passenger cars and light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons will be permitted in the EU from 2035. With this vote on the new CO2 values, the end for the combustion engines could be decided, with which German car companies such as BMW or Mercedes still do brilliant business. The majorities are unclear.
Manfred Weber from the Autoland Bavaria, head of the conservative EPP, has made a decision: “An early end for combustion engines could force negative developments for the social balance in society,” says the Christsoziale. This would destroy advanced “transformation technologies” from Europe.
Nostalgia does not yield any returns. But in front of its headquarters in Stuttgart, the Swabian automotive supplier Mahle is showing the pistons with which Michael Schumacher became Formula 1 World Champion in a Ferrari in 2003. They come from Mahle “and a few more nice things,” said the powerful chairman of the supervisory board, Heinz K. Junker, 72, once in an interview.
Today the group is an example of the difficult transformation in the car market. My colleague Martin Buchenau writes in his major analysis: “Electromobility is coming over the German auto industry like the Ice Age over the cave bears.” Red numbers in the core business, ten percent of the workforce cut, three bosses fired in four years – this is what the crisis looks like. Cooling systems for electric cars, bought together with the Behr company, are the group’s hopes – but this is where local rival Bosch is attacking. Conclusion: A lesson about missed opportunities and men who cannot let go of power.
(Photo: Imago)
And then there is the charging socket, a detail of the digital oversupply that could drive people crazy. The difference doesn’t even end with the product name: Apple users, for example, usually have many of these white cables with different end pieces. The audience’s applause is certain for the negotiators of the European Parliament and the EU states, who had agreed on a uniform charging socket for smartphones, tablets, headphones, digital cameras, game consoles and many other devices for the year 2024.
USB-C is the name of the future standard. The EU calculates savings of 250 million euros and 11,000 tons of electronic waste per year. Apple and the Bitkom association, on the other hand, criticize that the new regulation will slow down innovations. Presumably, the introduction of additional charging sockets is meant. Friends of the simple charging cable look it up with Friedrich Nietzsche: “When I was tired of searching, I learned how to find.”
I wish you a resourceful day.
Best regards
Her
Hans Jürgen Jakobs
Senior editor
PS: From an ecological and economic point of view, energy consumption is right at the top of the agenda for landlords, consumers and companies. As part of Innovation Week, on Monday, June 13, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., we will analyze how Germany is progressing in terms of energy efficiency in a live streaming event. Where is the greatest savings potential? What brings a measurable effect? If you would like to be there, please register at Handelsblatt.com/zeitenwende.