It’s amazing what Audi boss Duesmann wants to demand from his own customers: not to use the car, at least on Sunday. Doesn’t he know that his product is not only of great practical use, but also guarantees a bit of freedom?
Monday
From the German economy one hears little resistance to the diverse regulations and prohibition measures of the green politicians. Some entrepreneurs even cuddle in anticipatory obedience.
Markus Duesmann, the CEO of the car manufacturer Audi, provided an extreme example of adaptation. In an interview he advocates car-free Sundays. This is bad for his company and also for the whole industry. I know car salespeople who are appalled by what their boss has said.
While they tout the benefits of free driving to their customers, their CEO argues that the state should impede motorists.
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The adjective “free” appears in the concept of car-free days, but in a deceptive sense. In truth, it means a ban, a driving ban for millions, probably on Sundays or public holidays.
One can get the impression that the Audi boss knows little about the mentality of his customers.
They buy a car as a symbol of freedom. Many have saved or taken on complicated financing so that they can travel from A to B at their own discretion and at a time they choose.
You want to be independent of timetables and delays in public transport. In their own car, nobody is forced to wear a mask like they do on long train journeys.
Drivers don’t want to be told whether they go to the gym at the weekend or take their children there.
They don’t want to be forbidden to visit their parents on Sundays.
They don’t want to give up spending their free time so that the head of Audi can, as he dreams of, ride his racing bike on the closed motorways. There are enough free routes for cyclists.
He doesn’t have to worry about the drivers. They are adult and responsible citizens.
They can decide for themselves how they use energy and can decide responsibly which journeys they want to forgo on which days.
Without any bans.
Wednesday
Robert Habeck is the first German Economics Minister under whom the German economy loses its importance. He watches as our site becomes less competitive by the day. Companies go bankrupt or go abroad.
The figures on which the exodus is based must be known to the Federal Ministry of Economics. Of all the major nations in the world, Germany has one of the highest electricity prices.
According to Global Petrol Prices, a kilowatt hour cost us 31.8 euro cents at the end of 2021. For comparison: consumers in Great Britain had to pay 24.17 euro cents. In France, the hour cost only 18.5. The differences outside of Europe were even more drastic.
Energy has never been as expensive as it is now. But instead of panicking, you should calmly check potential savings at home. As our guide shows, there are many of them.
In the USA, consumers could calculate with 12.69 euro cents, in China only with 7.31 euro cents. No one should be surprised when companies from expensive Germany deal with this temptation. The German government has to take care of it. 40 percent of our record price comes from taxes and duties.
FOCUS founding editor-in-chief Helmut Markwort has been a FDP member of the Bavarian state parliament since 2018.
