The diesel scandal triggered off quarrels between top German politicians. Trigger is the Group's decision to pay American consumers for each defective diesel car up to $ 10,000.
Between top German politicians raging dispute over compensation payments for German VW -Kunden in "Diesel gate" scandal. Trigger is the group's decision, American consumers pay for each defective diesel car up to $ 10,000 reparation - but not provide similar payments in Germany. "Consumers in Germany have been cheated as well," said FDP leader Christian Lindner WirtschaftsWoche. "The VW Corporation should also offer them compensation, even if he is not legally obliged to."
Against such a demand talks with the Group, especially the sheer amount of potential payments. So VW would pay estimated up to 330 billion euros, should all owners of faulty diesel be compensated accordingly. This could drive the company into bankruptcy.
Lower Saxony's economics minister Olaf Lies - Member of the VW supervisory board - therefore opposes Lindner demand. "I can understand, of course, that in the USA settlement reached expectations in Germany arouses" says Read WirtschaftsWoche. "But the situation is really another. The limits in the US are much stricter, retrofitting complicated and participating in a recall is different here voluntarily. Nevertheless, the authorities expected in the United States, should apply to all vehicle owners convert their cars. "
Lies continues: "Even the legal system at this point is just different. Do we really want a consumer protection in the US, where a woman wins $ 2.7 million for damages because they scalded with a hot coffee to? Even though the extent of fraud frightened, as it is from the perspective of the individual consumer but here only a "normal" to recall. There is a technical defect which will be fixed by Volkswagen for free. "
According to FDP leader Lindner compensation in Germany would not be as high as in the United States and so do not bring the group into trouble indeed. Dieter Janecek, economic policy spokesman for the Greens in the Bundestag, is another question: "Who is actually the victims of the scandal? Customers who bought Pke under false pretenses? Or the general public, pedestrians, cyclists and residents who breathe the dirty air from the exhausts? So if VW has to fork out, then the benefit of air pollution control measures of the municipalities. "