TMV appeals to the medium-sized business expertise of the new State Secretary Connemann

"Dear Gitta," begin TMV President Thomas Kroker and Chief Executive Patrick Meinhardt their letter, which oscillates between collegial closeness and political emphasis. Connemann's role as the federal chairwoman of the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) seems to give the association confidence. The hope: The interests of small and medium-sized enterprises - such as the taxi and rental car industry - should find a stronger voice in future economic policy.

In terms of content, the association addresses several fields at once. It criticizes short-term funding stops such as those for electromobility and calls for reliable economic policy framework conditions. According to the TMV, the federal government must once again rely more on the principles of the Social Market Economy. The "values of the honorable merchant" are not a dusty ideal but a necessary foundation for a functioning middle class - and thus also for fair competition. The reference to international platform providers like Uber is not missing.

TMV Appeal Against 15 Euro Minimum Wage

The debate over the proposed nationwide minimum wage of 15 euros is given special emphasis in the letter. The TMV fears far-reaching consequences: for many businesses, this, combined with increased energy prices and an already tight market, is threatening their existence. It is referred to as a "death turbo for the taxi industry." Although the association is committed to fair pay, it clearly rejects politically set wage floors. The autonomy of wage negotiations must not be undermined, stress Kroker and Meinhardt – also in line with the Christian Democratic agenda, to which they explicitly refer.

At the same time, the association advocates for less bureaucracy. In reference to a recent KfW study on the bureaucracy costs for small and medium-sized enterprises, the TMV calls for a structural reduction of unnecessary regulations – for instance, in the calibration ordinance or in the testing requirements of federal technical agencies. As so often, it is about more practical regulation.