Chancellor Friedrich Merz views the potential entry of Chinese automakers into German manufacturers’ factories as a “stopgap measure.” The CDU chairman made this remark in response to a question at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin. “It’s up to the respective companies to decide whether they want that or not. That’s a matter for the owners in each case. I see this as a stopgap measure, not as a solution to their own structural problems.” This is not a matter for politicians to decide.
At Volkswagen, the company is grappling with cost-cutting measures in light of overcapacity. CEO Oliver Blume recently announced that the company is also considering producing Chinese VW models in Europe to improve plant utilization. According to Blume, this could include VW’s own models that were developed in China specifically for the local market and have so far only been sold there. Lower Saxony’s Minister President Olaf Lies and Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter (both SPD) have also already spoken out in favor of bringing models from China to Europe to keep local plants running at full capacity.
