Over a period of months, it was the AfD, now there are the Greens, the influence on the political Agenda. In search of voters, the CSU discovered-Chairman Horst Seehofer suddenly typical Green-issues – which strongly reminds us of the tactics of Angela Merkel, the also popular topics of other parties on your own Agenda.
Obviously, issues of climate protection and of consumer protection, “but of far greater importance than we have seen so far in terms of practical politics,” said Seehofer in the ZDF-show “What now?”. In it, he provides for areas “where we decided better to be”.
The commitment of Seehofer’s consumer surprised protection. In the past, the Union parties took care not particularly affectionate to this policy field. Seehofer was the first German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) between 2005 and 2008, consumer protection Minister. However, this was more of a coincidence. Seehofer’s predecessor, Renate Künast (Alliance 90/ The Greens) had made from the agriculture Ministry the “Federal Ministry of consumer protection, food and agriculture”. Seehofer did not want to remove the word consumer protection, then again from the name, but applied it to the last point: the Federal Ministry of food, agriculture and consumer protection, it was under him. After the Bundestag election 2013, the consumer switched to protection at the Ministry of justice.
Now the consumer is back protection of the CDU/CSU Agenda forward. This is not surprising, if you look at only the height of the flight of the Greens in the state Parliament elections in Bavaria, but also a survey of the opinion research from Kantar’s TNS Emnid, in the context of the current consumer reports 2018. There is a little more than 1000 people were asked which political party uses up most for the protection of consumers. 22 percent said the Green, only five percent of the CDU/CSU. The were once again less than a year earlier. At that time, ten percent opted still for the Union parties. The Greens came to 20 percent.
people expect more support from the policy. 83 percent of respondents reported that their interests had to be protected by the policy, however, only a quarter of trusts the policy to do in terms of consumer protection, the Right thing to do. “The trust in the policy of the Federal government is the issue of consumer protection very low”, said Klaus Müller, member of the Board of the Federal Association of consumer organisations vzbv, at the presentation of the survey results. To flight chaos and diesel scandal would have contributed this summer. The people expected of the policy solutions to their problems. “When it comes to Diesel, the Federal government has slept through the opportunity to achieve something in the interests of the consumer,” said Müller. More pace and enforcement will be also in the case of high-speed Internet, private pensions, and fair energy prices is necessary.
In this direction, the response of the Greens to Seehofer’s notice, to do to you in the future to emulate. “The knowledge of the Union that it has not done in the consumer’s protection so far, with energy, is not enough,” said Tabea Rössner, a consumer Affairs spokesperson of the parliamentary group Alliance 90/ The Greens. There is an urgent need for action. Seehofer’s CSU colleague Andreas Scheuer had to use a long time for the diesel holder and effective measures on the way. As a further points in the tasks folder, you call the digital consumer protection, in order to prevent the misuse of data and discrimination by algorithmic decision-making systems. Even the everyday hassles issues such as waiting loops, dubious phone advertising, or collection, not the coalition, Rössner.
concern about the “Merkel-power word”
strong words coming from the coalition partner SPD. He can see in the announcement Seehofer’s an overdue u-turn, said Johannes Fechner, consumer policy spokesman of the Bundestag group. All too often, the Union have followed so far, the interests of corporations instead of the consumer. His party would take “Mr Seehofer at his word, if he should remain in office,” said Fechner. On the account of the SPD Fechner recognized, among other things, the pattern-action lawsuit against Volkswagen, which is to be collected in the coming month on the Basis of one of his party forced law. Other points in the coalition agreement the SPD in favour of the consumer. The introduction of a repair clause to the design rights belong to, with the help of the consumer more favorable spare parts for their cars, and that much money could save.
The Problem for the SPD: Similar to the CDU/CSU is not even seen them yet as a party that cares more about the interests of consumers. Just ten percent of the Kantar TNS Emnid, interviewed people you see in the role. The trend is also declining. In the previous year, there were still 14 percent.
critics fear the Seehofer declared stronger focus on consumer protection disadvantages of Germany as an economic location. But so far only a few so clearly as Volkswagen chief, Herbert Diess, warned in a fiery speech to the fact that the “current campaign” against individual mobility and, hence, against the car, “existence-threatening proportions”. The concern with him is obviously great that it comes in the coming weeks, but is still the top consumer advocates, Klaus Müller, the required power word of Chancellor Merkel in the Diesel affair.
On the associations it demonstrates yet Serenity. You will participate in the debate on the consumer policy approaches in the future, “constructively critical,” said Iris Plöger, member of the main Board of the Federal Association of the German industry.
In the CDU/CSU group in the Bundestag is, at least in this respect, the all-clear in the direction of the economy, that you will not overdo it in the consumer’s protection in the future. “Our mission is to be the consumer at eye-level,” said the consumer Affairs spokesperson Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker. “We have to trust him a little. We want him Munden, not before and not to over-regulate.“ However, the CDU/CSU would see it realistic that, in many situations, regulation is necessary, to these eyes, to recover the amount. In the real world is Volkswagen, in the digital world, for example Facebook.
