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ctm has sent through the following translation, the original of which appeared in the Swedish online news, Dagens Nyheter overnight:
——
A delegation from the Swedish Government will meet with top management from Ford and GM in Detroit on Monday.
Jöran Hägglund, State Secretary to the Minister for Enterprise and Energy:
“We want to know more about their plans for the Swedish subsidiaries.”
The current crises had the Swedish government to put forward a financial package worth 28 billion SEK. That is money that cannot end up in the US operations at Ford and GM. The government is currently in negotiations with Saab and Volvo about guarantees for loans at the European Investment Bank. That could mean several billion SEK to promote green technology.
“That money should be spent in Sweden, but the situation in the industry today with shared platforms and so on makes it complicated. There are things were we need answers from Ford and GM about before continuing our discussions with Saab and Volvo.”
After visiting the auto show on Sunday, Monday will see meetings with members from the executive boards at Ford and GM. One issue the government want to have clarified is the auto companies position about their ownership of Saab and Volvo, especially after GM needed emergency loans from the US government. The plans to sell Saab and Volvo are also a burning issue.
“Both companies talks about strategic reviews of the Swedish subsidiaries. We want to know about their agendas and to be a part of it early in the process.”
——
Just another little addition to the interesting time ahead…..
4 responses so far ↓
1 PT
// Jan 9, 2009 at 1:20 pm
This is getting interesting now.
2 alaero
// Jan 9, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Wow..
To be a fly in the wall at that meeting!!
3 Markac
// Jan 9, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I hope whoever the Swedish government sends doesn’t suffer fools gladly, because they’re certainly going to meet a few in Detroit!
I suppose the one good thing is you usually can’t blind a politician with BS because they are so good at it themselves!
4 PT
// Jan 9, 2009 at 4:14 pm
If the delegation is anything like the Swedes that I work with in my company then Saab is in good hands. Typically sharp with numbers and focussed on real outcomes in a very diplomatic manner. Depends on what their brief is too though……