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TRAVEL NEWS

German Finance Minister rejects €9 ticket follow-up

Almost 80 percent of Germans would like to see a continuation of low-cost local and regional travel when the €9 travel ticket expires at the end of August, a recent poll showed, but Finance Minister Christian Lindner has rejected this idea so far.

Deutsche Bahn regional trains leave Munich station
Regional trains of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn leave the main train station in Munich, southern Germany, on March 28, 2022. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

A poll carried out by the Kantar institute for Focus news magazine found that 79 percent would like to see a similar state-subsidised ticket once the €9 ticket initiative ends.

This rose to 90 percent in the under-30 age group.

Sixteen percent did not want the initiative – or a similar one – to continue.

With the cut-price ticket set to expire at the end of August, the matter has been a topic of hot debate recently with politicians disagreeing about a follow-up and transport chiefs calling for a short extension.

READ ALSO: Germany’s €9 ticket should be extended by two months, say transport chiefs

Finance Minister Christian Linder has rejected the idea of any subsidised travel tickets continuing beyond August as it is too expensive.

“The €9 ticket is a time-limited measure, just like the tax relief at petrol stations. Therefore, neither a continuation of the petrol station discount nor funds for a follow-up arrangement to the €9 ticket are provided for in the federal budget,” the FDP leader told the Funke media group.

Taxpayers finance the cost of these tickets as they do not cover costs; this means that even those who cannot use them – such as those who live in rural areas less well-served by public transport – also pay for them, he explained.

But Green party head Ricarda Lang saw it differently: “Obviously, the potential for affordable public transport in Germany is huge and the nationwide €9 ticket is a successful model for which we should find a follow-up arrangement – not least from a climate policy point of view,” she told the Tagesspiegel on Sunday.

She said the party would always be ready to talk about getting rid of subsidies that damage the environment and the climate to find the funds for continuing the initiative.

Meanwhile, the €9 ticket is causing difficulties for other transport sectors.

Around half of all coach and long-distance bus companies reported a drop in demand in a quick survey carried out by their own association, the Federal Association of German Bus Companies said, according to German newswire DPA.

Because of the cheap public transport tickets, in June, organisers booked private buses or coaches for class and club trips far less frequently.

Demand from these two key groups fell by more than half on average and by more than two-thirds in a third important customer group – older people.

The €9 tickets were introduced June and are also available in July and August. They allow people to travel across Germany for a month on buses and local trains.

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POLITICS

Scholz calls on coalition to ‘pull ourselves together’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on his fractious governing coalition to "pull ourselves together" following a dismal showing in EU parliament elections last week.

Scholz calls on coalition to 'pull ourselves together'

In power since the end of 2021, the three parties in government — Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the liberal FDP — have been at loggerheads on a wide range of issues including climate measures and budget spending.

“I think that this is one of the entirely justified criticisms of many citizens, namely that there is too much debate” within the coalition, Scholz told German television channel ZDF on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.

“We need to pull ourselves together and stick together to reach agreements,” he added.

“The people have the right to demand that things change,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

The three parties in the coalition suffered a severe defeat in the European elections, with the SPD achieving its worst result in a national election since 1949.

Subsequently, Scholz has faced mounting criticism within his own party.

On Saturday, however, Scholz told ZDF and ARD that he was “sure” that he would be the SPD’s next candidate for the chancellorship in the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2025.

In the very short term, a new test awaits the coalition, which must reach an agreement on the 2025 budget by the beginning of July.

The FDP’s finance minister is opposed to any exceptions to the rules limiting debt and to any tax increases.

On the other hand, the SPD and the Greens are opposed to cuts in social welfare or climate protection.

The debate is also focused on increasing the resources allocated to the German army.

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