State Legislature Debates VW — Kretschmer Sees Opportunities

Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) still sees opportunities to preserve the VW plant in Zwickau. During a debate in the state parliament on Wednesday, he called for a “new Auto Union,” alluding to the glory days of Saxony’s automotive history. Auto Union AG was a company formed in 1932 through the merger of the four brands Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer, with its headquarters in Chemnitz.

Kretschmer: Cars, not tanks, should be built in Zwickau

“My vision is that we establish a new Auto Union in the sense that: We’ll do this together; we’ll take our fate into our own hands; we want vehicles to continue to be built in the Mosel region in the future. Not tanks, but cars,” said Kretschmer. To make this happen, the necessary conditions must be created. “For that, we need support from Volkswagen companies; for that, we have to do our own homework; and for that, above all, we have to sit down at the table.” 

The future of the VW site is up in the air

Volkswagen is struggling with declining demand for cars and competition from Chinese automakers. The supervisory board therefore recently gave the green light to cut an additional 50,000 jobs worldwide—on top of the previously agreed-upon group-wide reduction of 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. Concerns are particularly high at the Emden, Hanover, Zwickau, and Neckarsulm sites, which are repeatedly cited as candidates for closure.