Featured image: Gero Breloer/Associated Press
Construction of Giga Berlin is progressing rapidly and Germany-made Model Y will soon begin rolling off the assembly line. The German Chancellor and local authorities are confident that Tesla will receive final construction approval.
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the way the Brandenburg state government is working on the Tesla factory as a positive example. “I'm pleased to see Brandenburg show with the Tesla Gigafactory that even under German law, and with available funding opportunities, you can get things done in an incredibly short time,” the chancellor said in an interview with RND.
As of now, official environmental approval has not yet been received, so Tesla is building based on preliminary partial approvals. The state government of Brandenburg, led by Prime Minister Dietmar Voidke, announced that there should be no special treatment for Tesla. However, he expects the project to develop as planned.
“As of now, I know of no problem that would stand in the way of the construction permit,” Woidke told Bloomberg News. “My assumption is that legally sound permission is possible here.”
At the moment, hearings are underway, during which around 400 objections to the construction of Giga Berlin were discussed. However, Merkel said that this is exactly what democracy looks like. “Protest and objection are part of the essence of democracy,” she said.
Merkel is sympathetic to the people who live near the under-construction Tesla plant. She said it was time for the locals to seriously think about what exactly this means to them. “For anyone who thought the Berlin suburb was ideal for living because there would never be industry, it is naturally wondered what that meant to them.” Nevertheless, Merkel stressed: "This is part of the fact that there are protests and appeals are being considered."
Since what is happening now is part of the normal democratic process, Merkel sees no major obstacles and expects the company to receive approval: "Overall, however, I see great approval."
© 2020, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.
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About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
