Has privatisation of DB Schenker moved up the agenda?

News 27 Nov 2021 by WCN Editorial

The appointment of Volker Wissing from the free market-supporting Liberal Party as Transport Minister in Germany’s new coalition government is prompting speculation about the future of the profitable global logistics company

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Volker Wissing (FDP) has been named Transport Minister in Germany’s new coalition made up of the social democrats SPD, the liberals FDP and the green party (die Grünen).The new government is dubbed the Ampel coalition (Traffic Light) in reference to the three parties’ corporate colours. Wissing is currently general secretary of the FDP.

As a member of the Bundestag, he heads a commission that is looking into finance and taxes. For five years, until May 2021, he was also a minister in his native state of Rheinland-Pfalz, where his portfolio covered the economy and transport.

German political and transport media are keen to know what his appointment will mean for the debate about the possible sale of the profitable logistics giant DB Schenker, to help alleviate the debt of parent company Deutsche Bahn (DB). The FDP advocates a sale of DB Schenker as, being free marketeers, they believe such a state-owned enterprise should operate on the private market. Die Grünen are said to support the FDP on this, although the SDP, the biggest party in the coalition, is against. Left wing party Die Linke, not in the coalition, is also opposed.

Andreas Scheuer (CSU), the last Transport Minister in the Angela Merkel government (CDU, CSU) has spoken out most strongly against separating infrastructure manager DB Netz from DB and selling DB Schenker.

Meanwhile, the three parties in the new coalition have already agreed on widening the scope of the road tolls (MAUT) to all trucks exceeding 3.5 tonnes (currently 7.5 tonnes).