Volkswagen boss Oliver Blume is demonstrating against right-wing extremism, which is unusual but overdue. And it should serve as a model for other companies.
Company bosses tend to hold back on making public statements about politics; they prefer to concentrate on their business and see that things run smoothly. In this respect, what happened this Sunday in Wolfsburg is remarkable. Volkswagen, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, was a co-initiator of a large demonstration for democracy and against right-wing extremism and the AfD. CEO Oliver Blume even appeared as a speaker. It is also up to VW to defend democracy and freedom, he said, and: “The Volkswagen Group is taking a stand. And that goes far beyond our factory gates.” VW works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo, whose father once came from Italy, even described the AfD as “intellectual arsonists” and said: “They want to divide and sow hatred. That’s a society I don’t want to live in.”