Luigi Pantisano, the leader of the Left Party, has strongly criticized the planned cuts to subsidies for purchasing e-buses slated for the coming year. According to Pantisano, the federal government is currently watching countless jobs in the automotive industry hang by a thread, yet it simultaneously intends to reduce funding for e-bus acquisition by roughly two-thirds. Pantisano described this move as “an industrial policy disaster and completely senseless from a climate perspective.”
He argued that while car manufacturers are not running at full capacity and workers are worried about their future, the government is choosing to cut funds precisely where new orders and secure jobs could be created. Pantisano labeled this a fatal error.
Instead of reducing the funding, he advocated for a nationwide mobility strategy backed by a binding “mobility guarantee.” This guarantee, he proposed, would ensure that every location is accessible by bus or train at least once an hour during the day. As a starting measure, he stated that 10,000 additional e-buses would be needed by 2030. Pantisano emphasized that the federal government must increase subsidies and work with states and municipalities to issue long-term contracts. This approach, he concluded, would provide the industry with scheduling certainty, helping secure and create jobs. Pantisano added that workers deserve stable employment, and citizens deserve reliable public transport.
The draft budget for the federal government in 2027 reveals that the subsidy for the purchase of e-buses is set to drop from approximately 403 million euros to around 130 million euros.
