Audi CEO joins Trump on stage

Gernot Döllner, head of luxury carmaker Audi, appeared at a Trump rally in Perry, Georgia, just days before US midterm elections to announce a major investment.

Four billion dollar Georgia factory plan

Döllner announced Audi would spend four billion dollars to build its first US factory in Macon, Georgia, creating four thousand five hundred jobs and producing two hundred thousand SUVs annually.

“We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs, and produce them here in Macon, Georgia.”

German labour leaders condemn appearance

Daniela Cavallo, head of Volkswagen's works council, said Döllner's participation showed management had been turned into a puppet in Trump's propaganda show and breached political neutrality rules.

“turned into a puppet in the propaganda show of a highly dubious political figure”

German politicians call it a disgrace

Isabel Cademartori, transport spokesperson for Germany's Social Democrats, called Döllner's actions a disgrace, particularly given Volkswagen Group's history as a Nazi showcase company.

Union chief warns of code breach

Christiane Benner, head of German trade union IG Metall and deputy chair of VW's supervisory board, accused Döllner of flagrant breach of company code requiring political neutrality before elections.

“extremely embarrassing, politically unacceptable and unworthy of the company, but above all of Audi's employees”

Tariffs drove the investment decision

Audi is the only premium carmaker without a US factory, making it vulnerable to Trump's fifteen percent import tariffs, which cost the company an estimated one point two billion euros last year.

VW faces broader labour crisis

Volkswagen is locked in battle with labour over plans to cut as many as one hundred thousand jobs and close factories, with Audi's Neckarsulm plant employing fifteen thousand people among four VW sites threatened with…