The crisis at Volkswagen is a shock for Germany as a business location. Representatives of the traffic light coalition are calling for a new EU strategy. A report presented today shows the general state of Europe’s competitiveness.
In view of the crisis at Volkswagen, high-ranking politicians from the traffic light coalition have called for more help from Brussels. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must “quickly present an ambitious industrial strategy that strengthens European competitiveness in international comparison,” SPD leader Lars Klingbeil told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
Europe must be able to keep up with international developments “and Ms von der Leyen must now take the lead in this,” said Klingbeil.
FDP criticizes “insane bureaucracy”
The FDP also believes the EU Commission has a responsibility. “The reason for this crisis is the absurd European policy that is putting countless obstacles in the way of car manufacturers,” said FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr to the “SZ”. The state can help VW “best by ensuring that fleet regulation is abolished.”
Ultimately, this EU requirement leads to “insane bureaucracy” but does not save “a single gram of CO2”. “We will work towards this at the European level,” announced Dürr. “Only with technological openness can we help companies like VW.”
The management of the Volkswagen Group’s core brand VW announced a tougher austerity plan on Monday last week and no longer ruled out plant closures and redundancies. VW boss Oliver Blume cited the difficult situation on the European car market and the deteriorating competitiveness of German production sites as reasons.
VW-Works Council Chair at SPD meeting
Critics accuse VW management of investing too late and too little in electromobility and, as a result, falling behind the competition in the important sales market of China, for example.
The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports that VW works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo will join the SPD executive committee meeting digitally today. The employee representative at the SPD is attracting a lot of interest with her fight against the cutback plans at Germany’s largest carmaker.
EU report on competitiveness
The competitiveness of the European economy is also the subject of a report that is being presented in Brussels today. The former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi was commissioned by the EU Commission to write it. The former ECB President has already informed representatives of the EU states and top politicians of the European Parliament about the content of the approximately 400-page report.
According to participants in the talks, he will make recommendations on how the EU can prevent itself from falling behind economically. In recent months, there have been repeated concerns that this will happen. In April, the heads of state and government of the EU countries called for a change in European economic policy.
In view of geopolitical tensions and measures by international competitors, a change of direction is needed, says a final declaration from the summit. One of the topics being discussed is supporting companies with more state aid.