Scholz forces Germany to vote ‘no’ in China’s electric vehicle duty saga – POLITICO

The German surprise nein could encourage other EU countries to follow suit, although Berlin would have to convince 13 other capitals to support it for the project to be put to a second vote later. In such a call, even broader resistance would be needed to finally remove the tariffs: 15 countries representing 65 percent of the EU’s population.

In a non-binding vote in July, only Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia voted against measures intended to counter unfair Chinese state subsidies to the electric vehicle sector.

Germany is one of 11 countries that abstained due to disagreements in Berlin.

Scholz used an executive power called Richtliniencompetenz to impose the issue within the coalition.