Mopeds manufactured by Simson emerge as a topic in the Thuringian State Legislature
Thuringia's State Parliament to Discuss Simplified Registration of Re-imported Simson Mopeds
In an unusual turn of events, the Thuringian state parliament is set to discuss a joint application from CDU, BSW, and SPD next week, demanding a simplified registration of re-imported Simson mopeds. This discussion comes amidst a competing application from the AfD state parliament faction, also dealing with re-imported Simson models.
The current legal situation allows Simson mopeds, which have gained cult status despite no longer being produced, to drive up to 60 kilometers per hour if first registered in Germany before 1992. However, if they were sold abroad and then re-imported, they can only drive a maximum of 45 kilometers per hour. The governing coalition is planning to increase the speed limit for re-imported Simson models from 45 to 60 kilometers per hour.
The task of providing a legally secure basis for this project falls to Thuringia's Infrastructure Minister Steffen Schütz (BSW). One possibility is that the ministry could instruct registration authorities to issue special permits for certain Simson vehicles.
The coalition's plan to increase the speed limit for re-imported Simson models has been met with some legal uncertainties. SPD faction chairman Lutz Liebscher states that the fact that the AfD has discovered the Simson brand is not decisive for the coalition in this matter. However, differing statements exist within the coalition regarding the relationship between their Simson application and the AfD's use of Simson mopeds.
Bühl, a member of the CDU, expresses a similar view, stating that the Simson's popularity is unrelated to the AfD. Thuringia's AfD faction chairman Björn Höcke has invited a Simson tour and has been photographed several times with the mopeds.
The coalition application is, according to Augsten, a response to the fact that "we don't want to leave this to the AfD alone". This statement comes amidst BSW faction chairman Frank Augsten being confronted with the notion that people are attending AfD Simson meetings.
It is yet to be seen how the state parliament will vote on this matter next week. The infrastructure minister responsible for the legal basis of this project is not explicitly named in the search results.
