László Palkovics, Minister of Technology and Industry, held talks with Volker Wissing, Germany’s minister of transport and digital infrastructure, in Berlin on Wednesday. After the talks, Minister Palkovics said the Hungarian government would consider the system of Germany’s “nine-euro” public transport pass. He said the German government had made a wise decision to put a cap on the price of fuels and introduce the cheap passes, which he said were very popular and made a lot of drivers switch to public transport. “The Hungarian government will study this solution and soon make a decision on the matter,” Palkovics said. Germany offers the monthly passes costing nine euros for the summer months, valid for local public transport services as well as regional services of the Deutsche Bahn.
Concerning bilateral ties, Palkovics said the economy and politics of the two countries were interlinked, which would necessitate continued cooperation. Hungary and Germany have “many common causes”, he said, adding that car making and transportation were key industries in both countries. A large part of Hungary’s car making is also linked to Germany, he said. Palkovics and Wissing discussed dominant technologies of the near future such as electric and hydrogen-fuelled cars and synthetic fuels, and agreed that the principle of technological neutrality should be applied in political decision making. “Each country should be given an opportunity to choose its path,” the minister said.
Photo credit: MTI