Automobile trade fair: Munich city council postpones IAA decision

The Munich city council is postponing the decision on the IAA motor show. At the request of economic advisor Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU), the committee decided to postpone the scheduled vote. Before a new attempt, the issue must now be discussed in the Economics Committee because of amendments.

In the original meeting template, the department recommended that the city council support a continuation of the IAA in Munich beyond the already agreed year of 2025 and the use of the controversial open spaces – these are large exhibition areas in prominent places in the city center – for the year 2027 , 2029 and 2031 agrees. There is resistance to this. The open spaces in particular are seen as a sticking point for Munich’s renewed application for the trade fair.

It is not certain whether a positive decision by the city council in the expected next attempt will be enough to ensure that the trade fair remains in Munich. This also depends on the industry association VDA, which is the organizer and brand owner of the IAA. Before the decision was made, he did not want to commit to it. However, the VDA has made very positive comments about the previous IAA in Munich.

There was a protest before the city council meeting. At Munich’s Odeonsplatz, the Federal Nature Conservation Association demonstrated on Tuesday evening with a rather manageable number of participants against the event and in particular the use of the open spaces. There was also a protest directly at the town hall: According to the police, a small group of IAA opponents gathered in the building on Tuesday evening and in front of it on Wednesday morning.