Saxony’s CDU Faction Visits WP Holding in Zwickau

As part of their on-site action, the leadership of the CDU faction in the Saxon state parliament visited the Zwickau logistics service provider WP Holding on September 14. The delegation, led by faction leader Christian Hartmann, was accompanied by state parliament member Kerstin Nicolaus and state parliament member for Zwickau Northwest, Jan Löffler.

(Zwickau) One of the central topics of the CDU politicians’ visit was the continuously rising energy costs and their impact on the Saxon medium-sized businesses. These businesses are also facing significant challenges in attracting young talent and are confronted with the nationwide shortage of skilled workers. In addition to bureaucratic hurdles, Saxony’s medium-sized businesses are also burdened by the CO2 surcharge that will come into effect in December 2023. “This additional burden effectively means a doubling of the road fee for diesel trucks and poses enormous challenges for us,” lamented Doreen Paesold-Runge, managing director of WP Holding.

The financial policy spokesman and deputy faction leader Jan Löffler, whose Zwickau constituency is home to WP Holding, expressed great understanding and promised to advocate for the concerns of the affected companies. “We as the CDU are aware that medium-sized companies like WP Holding are the backbone of our economy. We see the significant challenges they face: from energy prices to the shortage of skilled workers. In our parliamentary work, we advocate for their interests and strive to find solutions together with the chambers of commerce and industry,” emphasized Löffler.

Challenges of Saxony’s Medium-Sized Businesses Addressed

A tour of the factory premises concluded the visit of the faction leadership. Doreen Paesold-Runge praised: “It is reassuring to see that the current challenges of Saxony’s medium-sized businesses are being acknowledged, understood, and brought into the political discourse!” The faction leader Christian Hartmann expressed his admiration for the innovative strength of WP Holding and emphasized the state government’s willingness to further develop the established contact. “For our local economy to remain the backbone of our prosperity, it needs more freedom in its decisions again. Politics should merely set the framework. Not everything needs to be regulated. Rather, standards must be lowered to create more relief for successful economic action.”

Photo: © WP Holding / Caption: The leadership of the Saxon CDU state parliament faction visiting WP (from left: Dr. Matthias Schmidt, Managing Director Erlos, Christian Hartmann, Faction Leader CDU Saxony, Kerstin Nicolaus, MdL, Jan Löffler, MdL, Doreen Paesold-Runge, Managing Director WP Holding, Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch, MdL)