The Patriots for Europe (PfE) group has criticized the European Union’s ban on combustion-engine vehicles from 2035. On X, the group posted that the ban was “one of the dumbest decisions ever” and pledged to reverse it, emphasizing that they “want choice, not bans” and aim to restore “Europe’s crown jewel” in manufacturing.
The EU’s legislation—part of the ‘Fit for 55’ environmental package —requires all new cars and vans sold from 2035 to be zero-emission, effectively prohibiting the sale of new petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles. While intended to reduce carbon emissions, the policy has faced criticism from industry leaders and politicians alike.
In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) recently convened emergency talks with automotive executives, government ministers, and union representatives to discuss the EU plan. German car manufacturers have raised concerns over declining sales, rising competition from Chinese-made electric vehicles, and the slow pace of the transition to electric. Merz has called for the EU ban to be reconsidered, while coalition partners in the Social Democratic Party of Germany advocate maintaining the deadlines.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has urged the European Commission to allow exemptions for alternative fuels, citing “outdated assumptions” in the carbon-reduction targets.
The PfE statement comes more than two years after Spanish opposition parties warned of a “Habana Effect,” where environmental policy and new technologies are pricing ordinary Spaniards out of the market for new cars.
