“We won’t miss him”. Politicians and unions, for once on the same wavelength, do not intend to tear their clothes after the farewell of Carlos Tavares from Stellantis. We are already looking to the more immediate future which corresponds to the name of President John Elkann.
Today is the day to break the deadlock Alberto Gusmeroli, president of the Productive Activities Commission of the Chamber, who told Sky Tg24: “This morning, following yesterday’s resignation of the CEO of Stellantis, I sent a letter requesting a hearing from President Elkann. I believe it is absolutely necessary and I believe that the request can be accepted given the change in the Stellantis Board of Directors. It is a difficult time for the automotive industry.”
Thought shared by the M5S leader Giuseppe Conte: “Tavares’ resignation, obviously well paid with 100 million, does not surprise us because it was now clear that that was the path, that of personal gains and not of a serious plan of social responsibility for the company you manage. Now this it could be such a full-blown crisis that it could even be an opportunity, so we ask Elkann to take direct responsibility with the other partners and to come and sit down with the Italian government, with politics also at a European level, to try to bring and build a serious industrial plan that gives security and a future to the automotive industry”.
Even the Democratic Party, through the senators Antonio Misianinational economics manager of the Democratic Party e Andrea Martellaof the Productive Activities Commission, regional secretary in Veneto, asks that Elkann “come to Parliament as soon as possible, in the Productive Activities commissions of the Chamber and Senate, to clarify what scenarios open up with the resignation of CEO Tavares, in which the management had declared, no more than ten days ago, to place full trust. The future of Stellantis and the Automotive industry in Italy is of fundamental importance for the industrial development of the country and for the employment implications. It is clearly necessary turn the page and everyone must do their part, certainly the company by putting in place an adequate industrial plan, but also the government by rethinking, during the discussion of the 2025 budget, the instruments it has just defunded, such as the fund for transition of the Automotive sector. There is an urgent need for a discussion in the parliamentary body on the future of Stellantis and the entire sector.”
The leader of Action, Carlo Calenda, has something for everyone: “Tavares’ resignation was announced, but in a later period. So on the one hand there was surprise but on the other it was inevitable. He did everything wrong, not only in Italy by also coming to Parliament with arrogance On Stellantis I fought in complete solitude – he recalled – Urso was unable to do anything at all. He should be kicked out. The automotive sector is in the biggest crisis that has hit the sector and the left says ‘we need to move forward with electric’. It’s a shame that they don’t sell them. The green ideology is devastating the European industry he has a shop but he hasn’t saved anything. I would summon Elkann to Palazzo Chigi in Meloni and then I would go to Europe to fight against fines for those who don’t produce electricity the automotive plan which is detailed and call Elkann and say ‘these are the obligations'”.
Brought up by Calenda, here is the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso talk about “a new phase, in which we hope that Italy will once again become central in Stellantis’ industrial plan, in full awareness of how important the strength of Made in Italy is”. Speaking about the future of the group, Urso added: “I hope that this will also allow us to be together in Europe to ask the EU to review the rules that must allow us to reach the 2035 objective, for an automotive industry competitive European Union with other major international players. We must row together in the same direction in Italy and in Europe because Italy can reaffirm the value of the car in the environmental transition and because Europe must allow the European car industry to remain competitive”.
The deputy group leader of Avs in the Chamber, Marco Grimaldi hopes that “the page will be turned. With the resignation of Tavares and the future change of leadership of Stellantis, a new path will open once and for all: reshoring of the made in Italy models flown abroad, new plan to relaunch the factories, doubling of the gigafactory, full and good employment. We await Elkann in Parliament and invite the Government to work together”.
Returning to Tavares’ resignation, Michele De Palmageneral secretary of Fiom-Cgil confesses his concern: “We were already clear about the proportions of the CEO’s failure. Financial failure is also being added to the industrial and employment failure. I hope that the board of directors, and those who have responsibilities , intervene to prevent the damage from now being added to the insult of accompanying the exit of hundreds of millions of euros, which should instead be invested in the company, starting from the Italian factories, in research and development and in the workers who, I remember, They are already at home on redundancy pay and perhaps they will start working again in January.”
“The news of Tavares’ resignation does not sadden us – admits the general secretary of the CISL Luigi Sbarra -. He was a manager who, in recent years, completely reversed Marchionne’s far-sighted course. He has never believed in trade union relations, he has relocated a lot of production from Italy to other countries, he has cut employment, slowed down investments especially in innovation and has gone so far as to challenge the State on the issue of incentives. We won’t miss him.”
“I think about Tavares like the secretary of the CISL, we will not miss him – said the president of the senators of Forza Italia, Maurizio Gasparri -. He didn’t have great results and sometimes had contemptuous attitudes. I then understand the logic of the market, but the super liquidation that is being talked about contrasts with its results. They would be better off reviewing any agreements on end-of-term compensation, which someone will unfortunately have signed. We should reward those who create value and work, with those who do the opposite. I hope that whoever has to pay will think about it carefully and that Tavares himself will reflect on the relationship between terrible results and unacceptable compensation.”