Gastkommentar: „Der große Airbus-Irrtum – und was er für KNDS bedeutet“
Ein KNDS, dessen einzige Aktionäre die Regierungen Deutschlands und Frankreichs wären, stünde vor einem fundamentalen Interessenkonflikt, meint Thomas Enders.
In Berlin's political landscape, there exist myths that persist despite being repeated ad infinitum, yet they continue to attract more supporters. The danger arises when such myths eventually become the foundation for political and economic decisions. One particularly persistent myth is that Airbus, following its 2013 reform in ownership structure and governance, effectively fell under French control, while Germany lost its influence.
Consequently, the German government should strive to prevent a "second Airbus" from emerging. As someone who played a significant role in shaping this reform, I can only say that this neo-nationalist representation turns reality on its head. What actually transpired? Airbus, formerly known as EADS, had been entangled in a complex web of state and industrial shareholders, political influence, and national interests since its inception in 2000.
Managerial decisions were constantly filtered through the prism of the German-French power balance. In 2012/2013, we managed to fundamentally alter this system. The state holdings were limited, the once significant influence of France was largely dismantled, and an independent board of directors was established. With equal small and equal stakeholder interests, both Germany and France sought to protect their legitimate national security interests.
However, managerial and board decisions were thereafter to be made by management and the board, not by governments.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
