In view of the crisis at Volkswagen, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Monday with the automotive industry to discuss the current situation. The largest German automobile manufacturers and suppliers, the automotive industry association VDA and the union IG Metall are expected to take part in the summit.
The FDP has expressed doubts about the auto summit. “Instead of new subsidies for just one industry, we need structural reforms from which the entire economy benefits,” said Deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Christoph Meyer on Saturday to the AFP news agency in Berlin.
The rapid implementation of the growth initiative also helps VW and has a better effect than any auto summit.
Christoph Meyerdeputy FDP parliamentary group leader
The government must now implement measures against bureaucracy and state over-regulation: “The rapid implementation of the growth initiative also helps VW and has a better effect than any car summit.”
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However, Meyer does not see the Volkswagen crisis as a task for the state. The problems at VW are due to “product development that is not in line with the market and massive mismanagement by the board of directors and the works council,” said the budget expert.
“An inefficient bureaucratic bureaucracy, constant state intervention by the social democratic state of Lower Saxony, vested interest unions and an overwhelmed top management are clearly part of VW’s problems,” said Meyer. These problems would have to be “solved primarily by VW itself”.
At the beginning of last week, VW caused a sensation by terminating the job protection provided for in the collective agreement. This means that redundancies for operational reasons will be possible from July next year, provided no solution is found by then. The company is also no longer ruling out plant closures.
Habeck said on Friday: “The majority of the tasks will have to be solved by Volkswagen itself.” However, politicians must examine “whether we can set market signals correctly or even strengthen them.” (AFP)
