What you need to know about the Uber Files

“What are the main findings of the research?

 

The Uber Files provide an insight into the strategy of political and media networking, with which the company also wanted to establish itself on European markets. The documents reveal that the former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, for example, organized meetings with Dutch top politicians for Uber during the waiting period in which such high-ranking European politicians are not allowed to accept other lobbying jobs in their former area of  ​​responsibility - internally the Uber Management absolute discretion, Kroe's name should not appear on any document. At the end of the waiting period, she officially joined the Uber advisory board and worked as a consultant for the group. When asked, the politician explained that she had not previously worked for the company, either formally or informally.

 

Today's French President Emmanuel Macron, then his country's Minister of Economic Affairs, is said to have intervened with the authorities in Marseille at Uber's request because they had banned an Uber service - a few days later the ban was off the table. When asked, Macron explained that as Minister of Economics he had come into contact with many companies in the service sector.

 

Do you also have information about Germany?

 

In Germany, it turns out that Uber initiated a major lobbying campaign led by former member of the Bundestag Otto Fricke (FDP). It was primarily about changing the Passenger Transport Act in the interests of the company. They lobbied with moderate success in the Ministry of Transport and with today's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, at the time Hamburg's first mayor.

 

The Californian group was more successful with scientists or media houses. For example, the constitutional lawyer and ex-defense minister Rupert Scholz provided an expert opinion for Uber. The economist Justus Haucap, in turn, wrote a study and a guest article for the FAZ, which Uber even edited in part. Rupert Scholz did not comment on request; one of Haucab's employees said that scientific standards were never neglected in this work."