Volkswagen, once a world leader, is slipping further and further down the list. There are also construction sites elsewhere in Germany – the basic problem is the same everywhere. A comment.
A German flagship company in decline. VW suffers from many problems: strong political influence, unions that water down necessary, painful measures, growing competition from the Far East… And all the reasons given are somehow correct.
But the core of the problem has been clear since the emissions scandal around ten years ago: it is more profitable for those responsible to cheat their way through than to be passionate about real solutions – until they have actually found them. This is how you slip from the top of the world, first into the second division, and perhaps you are now in the third division.
Not only VW in decline: Germany facing major problems
The more you think about it, the clearer it becomes that this is not just a problem for Volkswagen. The malaise can be found in many places: at the railways. At the successors to the former Federal Post Office. At the ailing German army. At the highest federal authorities, where everything they touch to make things better turns into a bureaucratic monster. And everywhere the basic problem is the same: adaptation to structural or ideological requirements takes precedence over competence.
Germany is facing more than just a Herculean task. But there is no Hercules to be seen anywhere. And so the people, fed up with all this messing around, are seeking salvation from even more fickle false prophets, as the recent elections have shown. It’s enough to make you cry.
#restructuring #problem #bigger #Volkswagen
