Politicians in Berlin and Wiesbaden are struggling with themselves and the electorate as to how to respond to the sale of the heating manufacturer Viessmann to the American company Carrier. This is first and foremost a business decision. And an expression of fine appreciation for the German company. How a heating system could be counted as a critical infrastructure and thus enable a government veto requires some imagination. Although the head of the company reports that the first talks between the business partners, who have now come to an agreement, took place a year ago, the sale undoubtedly coincides with a period of turmoil by the Federal Minister of Economics and his forced heating turnaround.
After all, no one can be so naïve as to assume that political guidelines that undermine the market, including subsidies, have no effect on orders, prices, delivery capability, jobs and competitors. The heating market today is as distorted as it was for photovoltaic systems at the time, and we can learn from history. The situation is similar with the automotive industry. It would be more correct than exerting influence through bans to provide incentives for entrepreneurial enthusiasm. This could be achieved through tax legislation or lower energy costs, but above all through a reduction in bureaucracy, one or two fewer regulations, less complicated approval procedures, motivated specialists with white and blue collars. Entrepreneurs freed from shackles create innovative technology and sustainable value creation. There are many small examples in medium-sized businesses, even a few big ones, you just have to let them do it: Tesla already has 10,000 employees in Grünheide.