BBC Business News reports that Fiat has decided not to attend the meeting in Berlin at which a preferred bidder for GM Europe is to be chosen. The Italian carmaker said it still wanted to buy GM Europe but the German government was being “unreasonable” in asking for extra funding from it.
The German government had hoped to reach a decision on Wednesday, but had to wait for more information from the US after GM asked for extra cash.
Also on Friday, EU industry ministers meet in Brussels to discuss GM Europe.
The meeting was called after some EU nations with GM plants said Germany was having too much say over the future of GM Europe, which owns Vauxhall and Opel.
But the German economy minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg dismissed suggestions he was putting German jobs first, saying he had the wider interests of Europe at heart.
Half of GM Europe’s 50,000 workers are employed in Germany. The UK, home of GM’s Vauxhall brand, is another big employer with 5,500. Full story…
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