Meeting with VW Executives: Government Promotes Plant in Zwickau

Even before the start of the employee meetings at Volkswagen, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter (SPD) met with the company’s top executives. As early as Monday, Kretschmer and Panter met with CEO Oliver Blume and VW Supervisory Board Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch, as confirmed by government spokesperson Ralph Schreiber. 

Meeting at the State Chancellery in Dresden

According to reports, the meeting took place at the State Chancellery in Dresden. The “Sächsische Zeitung” and “Leipziger Volkszeitung” reported on the event. According to the reports, Kretschmer and Panter highlighted the strengths of the Zwickau site as the most productive VW plant in Germany.

“Now it is up to Volkswagen to reward this performance with an attractive model lineup and a clear outlook for the coming years,” Schreiber told the newspapers. Decisions are needed that will ensure a future for the site beyond 2030. Saxony will do its part, but responsibility for the plants lies with the company.

According to Schreiber, the initiative for the meeting came from Kretschmer. This was preceded by a meeting last week in Zwickau with IG Metall Chairwoman Christiane Benner and the works council.

Blume Visits VW Plants

Blume is attending works meetings at several VW locations this week. The tour kicked off in Wolfsburg on Tuesday; on Wednesday, the CEO will travel to Emden and Zwickau. Production facilities in East Frisia and Saxony have been the focus of attention since the announcement of further cost-cutting measures. 

According to VW management, these sites—along with the VW Commercial Vehicles plant in Hanover and the Audi plant in Neckersulm—are among those for which there is still no competitive use planned for the 2030s.