EU plans 25% tariff on Chinese EVs ++ Defence Minister Pistorius in favour of 'selective military service'
Wednesday 12th June
Good morning. Here are the top stories making the German press today:
Tariffs are coming
The EU is expected to announce a new 25% tariff on three Chinese car manufacturers which will be imposed from next month, Handelsblatt reports. Projections by the Kiel Institute for Global Economics (IfW) suggest that this will reduce imports of Chinese EVs to the EU by a quarter. Chinese officials have criticised the move as ‘protectionism’, and that it would threaten international trading order and ‘ultimately damage European interests’.
This follows what has been described as the largest ‘anti-dumping’ investigation in the EU’s history into Chinese trade practices, described by European officials as unfair due to the vast state subsidies given to Chinese EV makers.
Germany has been highly critical of imposing tariffs, informed by a concerted lobbying effort by the country’s own automakers fearful of being hit themselves, both by reciprocal measures by the Chinese government and as a result of their own cars manufactured in China being caught up in the new tariff regime. Handelsblatt mentions that for a successful veto, the Germans would have to convince 14 other countries representing at least 45% of the EU’s population to also vote against the measure, which it describes as unlikely.
Pistorius wants ‘selective military service’ for Bundeswehr
The Süddeutsche Zeitung have had advanced sight of SPD defence minister Boris Pistorius’ latest proposals for reform of Germany’s military.
Pistorius wants to bring in something which he calls Auswahlwehrdienst: a selective, voluntary regime of military service, in which young men will be sent a census-style form to fill out, detailing their physical fitness and most importantly, whether or not they would be willing to complete a year of national service. This is said to be inspired by the system which Sweden currently uses. The military association has already said this will not adequately provide the 203,000 men they claim are needed to fill current personnel shortages.
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After its brutal attack on Scholz yesterday, BILD is continuing its offensive on the Chancellor. An article in today’s paper asks 5 questions ‘on behalf of the citizens’, each beginning “Herr Chancellor, is it too much to ask that…?”. Frankly, it’s a set of themes which the fringe parties would be happy with, including:
a pause on any asylum applications until the end of the year,
guarantees that children “will learn proper German in school and not genderspeak”, referring to a popular move towards using more inclusive formulations when talking about people’s professions, etc.
that ‘our taxes don’t get spent on building cycle lanes in Peru’, a swipe at Germany’s international development budget.
FAZ reports on the ‘cult status’ which German defence company Rheinmetall seems to be developing. Coming off the back of its new sponsorship deal with Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, the Panzer manufacturer has opened a repairs facility in Ukraine in an event attended by the country’s defence minister.