Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer would like to continue his office in a new government despite widespread criticism because of the failed car toll.

The CSU politician told the German Press Agency: “I really enjoy it.

I will fight hard, in my constituency and then in the coalition negotiations, that this Ministry of Investment and Innovation can look to the future well.

I still have a lot to do. ”Scheuer has been head of department since March 2018.

The failure of the car toll fell during his term of office.

"It's 88 to 1," he said, looking at his balance sheet. “As the Ministry of Transport, we passed 88 ordinances and laws through the Bundestag and Bundesrat during this legislative period. We over-fulfilled the coalition agreement. The legislative period was already pretty tight, but also quite result-oriented. "So he emphasized with a view to the railway:" In this legislative period we have given so much priority and put money into the rail system as never before. "

The car toll - a CSU prestige project - was stopped as illegal by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in June 2019.

The planned operators are demanding 560 million euros in damages after the federal government terminated the contracts after the judgment.

Arbitration proceedings are ongoing.

A spokeswoman said the Ministry of Transport would firmly reject the demands from the start.

You see no reason for compensation.

Toll failure costs millions

In connection with the toll project, the ministry has spent more than 20 million euros on personnel and material resources as well as experts, court costs "and related costs" since last year. This emerges from the department's response to a request from the Greens, which the news magazine “Der Spiegel” previously reported on. Of the total, around 15.7 million euros will be due in 2020 and 4.7 million this year (as of June 30).

"That will not be the last billions of millions for the failed CSU adventure," commented the deputy chairman of the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Oliver Krischer.

“The unnecessary arbitration process can quickly cost taxpayers 80 million euros only for lawyers and appraisers.

On top of that, there will probably be another 560 million euros in damages for the companies. "

The opposition accuses Scheuer of serious violations of budgetary and public procurement law.

The aim is also for the federal government to conclude the operator contracts at the end of 2018, before there was final legal certainty at the ECJ.

Scheuer has strictly rejected allegations and the operator's demands.

There was also a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the car toll.