Bavarian Minister for the Economy, Hubert Aiwanger (Freie Wähler), has voiced strong support for 40 German corporations that recently directed a letter to the top of the EU, calling for a major pivot in Europe’s climate policy and criticizing the rapidly escalating costs of the emissions trading system.
Speaking to the news program “Welt” on Thursday, Aiwanger stated that it was “absolutely shameful” that European business leaders needed to address the European Commission and Ursula von der Leyen. He argued that these companies were forced to write in because of “this nonsense,” referring to the high CO2 levy, which is trending upwards toward 80 euros per ton, burdening businesses with millions of euros in costs. He stressed that the EU must quickly remove these obstacles to protect its jobs and competitive standing.
Aiwanger contrasted the current situation with the Lisbon Strategy of 2000, which aimed to make Europe the most competitive region in the world by 2010. He claimed the opposite is happening, arguing that Europe is increasingly being “left behind” due to the relentless imposition of the “Green Deal” and its associated “CO2 ideology.” According to Aiwanger, this approach is not only detrimental but actively harms the economy, suggesting that “the rest of the world is laughing” while Europe faces decline, and this trend urgently needs to change.
