The drunken boat of GM continually more and more

The drunken boat of GM continually more and more. Was it nine months of prevarication and disregard successively four candidates resumed finally decide to restructure Opel-Vauxhall solo Apparently without particular pressure from the administration Obama, the 13 members of the Board of Directors of GM finally chose this option, after had clearly excluded it by mid-September. The line advocated by the "Hawks", which seemed yet minority, has finally prevailed. Position: GM will not be able to remain in the future a worthy of the name constructor if it definitely cuts of greater Europe.

Settlement of sales in 2010

But this choice of self-sufficiency remains strong little comprehensible, both on the merits on the form. Since a little less than a year, the US administration - and through it the American taxpayers - engulfed 50 billion dollars in the Detroit giant, as long as it restructures and off-loads its less profitable assets. Not really the way chosen for Opel, whose financial health remains fragile (its current market share in Europe reach only 7.6 against 14 in 1995).

GM justified his surprise decision by the resurgence of health of the European automotive market. But it is the only one to be so optimistic today: all experts predict serious settlement of sales of cars on the Mainland next year, starting with the German market, determining for Opel, which is expected to drop considerably in 2010 due to the judgment of the premium in the case in this country last September. The Russia, the only commercial outlet of the mark to the Flash outside the Europe of the twenty-seven, the market is totally affected currently, plunging to-55.

Berlin plays the sorcerer's apprentices

This day of March 3 will remain as one of the most crazy of the long history of Opel, one of the oldest European manufacturers. While GM managers met in Detroit, Chancellor Angela Merkel was received with honors in Washington, not to expect a such ultimate reversal on this issue which has already poisoned any of "his" campaign. A few hours before, the representatives of the employees of GM Europe officially accepted wage sacrifices of 265 million euros per year, paving the way for what concerns them, to the redemption of their group by Magna. The same day, Carl - Peter Forster, the boss of GM Europe (which seems more and more close to the exit), recalled in Berlin at a Conference the conditions subject to the next takeover by Magna, expected for Christmas: some 10,000 job losses at Opel, and between one and three sentenced, assembly plants which the Antwerp in Belgium.

Unwittingly blowing on the embers, the Court of Auditors American (GAO) issued the day before a report unequivocally, indicating that the Federal State had little chance to recover the money ship since December 2008 GM (as in Chrysler), due to a too low value in the years to come. Not sure that maintaining Opel GM back can escalate this upgrading. On its side, the Government of Berlin has also played sorcerer's apprentices in this drama. Especially to agreeing on public guarantees of 4.5 billion euros, a priori split between the countries sheltering factories of the group, but without real agreement with the States in question.