In her State of the Union speech, the President of the European Commission warned this Wednesday morning in Strasbourg against the “dumping” practices of Chinese electric car manufacturers, which are distorting the European market. Ursula von der Leyen announced countermeasures. Meeting in Berlin, the French and German Economy Ministers welcomed the Commission’s initiative.
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With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut
Bruno Le Maire, who participated in the Council of Ministers in Berlin, spoke in German about the transformation of the industry in the face of international competition. A subject which echoed Ursula von der Leyen’s speech at the same time in Strasbourg.
Questioned during a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Bruno Le Maire welcomed the initiative of the European Commission and pleaded for firmness in the face of Beijing.
“ We want, he said, fair competition between China and Europe. There are rules, the rules are the same for everyone. Once again, I welcome the decision of the President of the European Commission. Europe must show its determination to enforce the rules and defend its economic interests. »
The German Minister of Economy and Climate, environmentalist Robert Habeck, also welcomed the European Commission’s initiative: “ This is not about preventing the entry of quality, inexpensive Chinese cars into the European market. This involves checking whether there are direct or indirect subsidies which lead to unfair competition. »
It is not certain that the German minister’s position will be unanimous. Last week, at the Munich Motor Show, Chancellor Scholz expressed his reservations.
Germany, which exports a lot to China, is reluctant to clash with a central partner. The German automobile industry association has already criticized the investigation announced by Ursula von der Leyen, saying that Europeans also need to improve their competitiveness.
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