Word: opel
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...decision to back out of the sale of its European operations this week was a huge embarrassment for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She had thrown her weight behind the bid by the Canadian-Austrian car-parts maker Magna and its Russian partner, Sberbank, to buy Opel and Vauxhall from the beginning, seeing it as the best way to save German jobs and offering both sides billions of dollars in loan guarantees to grease the wheels. Before GM made its sudden U-turn on Nov. 3, Merkel had also been riding high. She was coming off an electoral victory in September...
...least one thing is clear: the German government wants GM to pay back the $2.2 billion bridge loan that Berlin gave it a few months ago to keep Opel's business afloat. Jürgen Reinholz, the Economy Minister of the eastern state of Thuringia, says GM will likely do this by the end of November. But a huge question for Merkel is whether GM will now receive any of the $6.7 billion in loans the government had previously promised to Magna to seal the deal. The pledge had raised alarm bells in Britain, Belgium and Spain, where leaders feared...
...unlikely Westerwelle will be in the mood for too many compromises. The FDP leader, tipped to become Germany's new foreign minister, criticized the previous government for bailing out the automaker Opel, while neglecting small and medium-sized firms - the famed "Mittelstand" which make up the backbone of the German economy. Westerwelle also called for controversial reforms to make it easier for firms to hire and fire workers and he proposed 400 spending cuts. That could lead to clashes with Merkel, who's spent the past few years defending Germany's social and labor protections. "I think Chancellor Merkel will...
...Still, even the chancellor admitted the "new beginning wouldn't be easy." Under the deal, Magna and Sberbank will own 55% of the "New Opel", GM will keep 35% and the company's workers will take a 10% stake. GM's chief negotiator John Smith, who flew in from Detroit for a Berlin news conference, said Magna had come up with the best offer. "Magna has a great manufacturing culture and it enjoys the support of German labour unions, and the funding is there. It makes sense," said Smith. But he also warned of job-cuts. Magna's bid outlined...
...That hard work will include further negotiations between GM and the German government. GM wants to keep some ties to Opel's engineering presence in Germany and also retain a veto over any transfer of its technology to Russia. There are also thorny issues over the details of the financing package to work out, though Merkel said today she was confident the obstacles could be overcome. GM's Smith, said he hoped the deal could be closed by November or December. If that happens, America's biggest auto company will finish 2009 in a very different state than it started...