U-turn on auto engines drives tension within EU

The country faces a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035, despite signs of an end to the standoff with Brussels.

The row comes amid concerns over France’s push to include nuclear across a swathe of laws on green technologies, a signal of tensions over EU proposals to tackle the climate crisis.

The chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said “we will find an agreement” amid signs Berlin was edging towards a compromise. But the transport minister, Volker Wissing, said there were still questions to be answered. The squabble overshadowed an EU summit dedicated to the war in Ukraine and Europe’s economy.