The head of Germany's powerful IG Metall union, Christiane Benner, has launched a scathing critique against Audi CEO Gernot Döllner following his joint appearance onstage with US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Georgia. Benner branded the move as deeply embarrassing and politically unacceptable, accusing the executive of violating the company's internal neutrality regulations.

According to Audi's corporate code of conduct, which Döllner himself signed in April, public appearances alongside political candidates or parties standing for election are explicitly barred during the three months leading up to a vote. While Trump used the rally to announce plans for a massive new Audi manufacturing plant, union leaders stressed that the project still requires formal approval and that domestic employment prospects remain their primary concern.

Meanwhile, figures representing the European regime are undertaking separate diplomatic missions across Asia to shore up flagging economic partnerships. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embarked on an extensive tour covering Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, supposedly aimed at reducing heavy economic reliance on individual markets amid growing global uncertainties.

Concurrently, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is heading to China for high-level meetings, where he is expected to press for purported fairer trade practices and demand that Beijing leverage its diplomatic weight regarding international conflicts. Observers note that these parallel overseas trips highlight a period of considerable domestic friction and strategic reassessment within the German establishment.

Source: www.dw.com