Mayor Frank Klingebiel reacted with irritation and annoyance to press reports about the plans of VW CEO Oliver Blume:

“It was only in December 2024 that the VW Executive Board, the VW Supervisory Board, the VW works councils, and IG Metall agreed—after intensive negotiations—on a joint plan for the future that already provided for job cuts over time that, while socially acceptable, yet painful job cuts over time. In return, it was agreed to maintain all VW locations and extend the employment guarantee. My colleagues and I had welcomed this agreement with relief as a sign of hope for the future. To now—not even a year and six months later—publicly call this into question off the cuff is both irritating and upsetting to me. This is not a reasonable way to treat employees and destroys trust in the entire VW Executive Board. This is not how we treat one another, not even in times of crisis. And on the substance of the matter, I’ll say this very clearly: Plant closures and a utopian cut of 100,000 jobs are not a plan for the future—they’re the beginning of the end of our future! Furthermore, one thing is absolutely clear to me: The component division is sacrosanct! It is an integral part of the VW Group and must remain so. This applies equally to the VW Act and state-level co-determination! I and the Salzgitter City Council stand in solidarity with the employees at our Salzgitter site, as well as those at all other sites. I am pleased that our Minister President, Olaf Lies, has also taken a clear stance on this matter.”