Kommentar: Für VW-Chef Oliver Blume wird die Lage persönlich heikel
Vorstand, Arbeitnehmer und das Land Niedersachsen stehen sich weiter unversöhnlich gegenüber. Damit rückt eine Eskalation näher, die das Image des Konzerns endgültig zerstören könnte.
Volkswagen faces a dire situation, with the company's German operations facing an uncertain future. In China, the business is struggling, while European competitors are gaining ground. Despite selling electric vehicles, VW still earns insufficient profits, and Trump's auto tariffs are cutting into Audi and Porsche's earnings. The company's expenses are high, its organization complex, and four German factories have no guaranteed prospects for the next decade.
The greatest enemy within Volkswagen is the company itself. As of the crucial supervisory board meeting on Friday, no clear line for a restructuring compromise is in sight. The board, workers, and the state of Lower Saxony remain at odds. This leaves little chance for a swift breakthrough, and the risk of escalation at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting increases.
Legally, such a move would be permissible, but it would be an admission of failure in terms of entrepreneurship. For the company's image, it would be a mark of poverty. Yet, practically everyone involved knows that the group needs to become cheaper, faster, and simpler. Even a 3.8% operational profit margin is insufficient for a manufacturer that must invest billions in software, batteries, new models, and factories.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
