The appearance of Audi boss Gernot Döllner at a campaign event for US President Donald Trump caused sharp criticism. “Several minutes full of racism, sexism, xenophobia, transphobia, contempt for democracy - and then one of our top company representatives comes onto the stage and actively helps the election campaign,” said VW works council boss Daniela Cavallo in an internal interview that was available to the dpa news agency.
Anyone who heard Trump's speech and then saw that Döllner had become an active part of this event had to "sink into the ground with shame," said Cavallo.
The head of IG Metall, Christiane Benner, also criticized the appearance as “politically unacceptable”. The way Döllner presented herself and Audi in the USA was “embarrassing” and “not worthy of the people of Audi,” she explained.
On Saturday, Trump surprisingly announced the construction of an Audi factory in Perry, Georgia. Döllner then went on stage and thanked the president for his support. The head of the VW subsidiary is also a member of the Wolfsburg board of directors.
Audi wants to produce 200,000 sports off-road vehicles (SUVs) annually in Georgia. According to Döllner, these are initially the large SUV models Q7, Q8 and Q9, which are currently being manufactured in Bratislava, Slovakia. Investments totaling four billion dollars (around 3.6 billion euros) are planned in the USA, and 4,500 jobs are to be created. Audi says construction will begin in 2027, with production starting in the early 2030s. It would be the VW premium subsidiary's first plant in the United States.
There is also criticism of Döllner's appearance from politics. The SPD traffic expert Isabel Cademartori rated him as an election campaign aid for an autocrat who is waging a trade war against Germany. “This is a shame, especially considering the history of the VW Group,” she said. Volkswagen was founded during the Nazi era and served as a model company for Hitler's regime.
Left leader Luigi Pantisano even called for Döllner to resign. "I think it's clear: Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has to take his hat off," he told the news portal t-online. “Especially at VW, where the state of Lower Saxony is responsible, this must have consequences.”
Works council boss Cavallo expressed further criticism of the entire VW Group board around boss Oliver Blume. He allowed himself to be "made into a puppet in his propaganda show by a highly dubious political figure who violates pretty much all of our corporate values," she said. The fact that the first comparisons to VW history were immediately drawn speaks for itself. It's playing with fire.
According to Cavallo, the appearance contradicts Audi's internal guidelines. In the last three months before elections, public appointments with politicians standing for election are prohibited. Döllner signed these principles just a few months ago. There is “certainly a clear violation” here. The US midterm elections take place on November 3rd.
In the opinion of IG Metall boss Benner, Döllner is also violating her own company rules, which explicitly stipulate political neutrality in the run-up to elections.
Audi's "Principles and Guidelines for Political Advocacy" states: "Our employees also ensure neutrality in their dealings with parties and interest groups and maintain contact with democratic parties. In order to respect this principle, there will no longer be any publicly effective appointments with parties/politicians standing for election or sponsorship of corresponding events in the last three months before elections."
Regarding his appearance, Döllner himself referred to Trump. “If the American president invites you, then accept this invitation,” he said in a video link with journalists on Sunday. The Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on this.
The construction of the new US plant still needs to be approved by the VW supervisory board. However, Audi supervisory board chairman Manfred Döss already supported the board's line. Audi's future will not be secured solely through cost reductions and increased efficiency.
The decision should be seen against the background of VW's sales crisis and the discussion about job cuts and possible factory closures in Germany. Audi has locations in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm in Germany. "The planned investment in the USA is not a decision against Germany, but a step to strengthen our global competitiveness," said a spokeswoman.
Prime Minister Olaf Lies, who sits on the VW supervisory board as the representative of the state of Lower Saxony, said that the USA is an important market for Volkswagen and that it is strategically right to develop it even better. “More production there is an opportunity if the factories and employees in Germany also benefit from it. Growth in America must secure work and added value here and must not displace them,” said the SPD politician.
Lies was critical of Döllner's appearance at Trump's campaign event. "A campaign event cannot be the right place to announce such an investment," he said. "This appearance has caused astonishment among the employees who fear for their jobs here, and far beyond." A company official became “part of a political production.” Lies made it clear that a final decision on the project was still pending.
VW works council boss Cavallo also assesses the basic plans for an Audi plant in the USA more soberly. From a purely business perspective, it could make sense, she said. The US market is one of the largest and most lucrative in the world, but VW's market share there is still far too small. At the same time, the tariffs are high because of Trump and cost the company billions. There is much to be said for increased manufacturing in the United States.
However, many questions remain unanswered after the announcement - for example, whether there would be customs relief for the entire VW Group in return. It is also unclear how reliable such commitments would be beyond a possible change of government.
Internally, Cavallo sets clear conditions. For the employee side on the supervisory board, a new US factory - no matter what brand - would only be an option if there was clarity about the effects on the other factories, especially in Germany. “Without an overall picture of the planning round with an overall view of all locations, we will not give the green light. Conversely, this means that a decision is still pending,” said Cavallo. It remains to be seen whether the option for the new building will ultimately be approved.
