Fiat Rejects Claims Marchionne Threatened Italy Exit
Fiat has denied that CEO Sergio Marchionne said the group could leave Italy, after a radio interview transcript was corrected to remove the reference.
Fiat moved quickly to deny reports that its chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, had said the group could leave Italy. The statement followed a correction by Italy’s Radio 24, which revised its transcript of a Marchionne interview and removed a reference to an Italy exit.
The controversy began when Radio 24 published an interview in which Marchionne was quoted as saying “we can leave Italy.” After further review, the broadcaster issued a revised transcript to journalists, omitting any mention of a possible departure. Fiat then issued its own statement to clarify that Marchionne had not made such a remark.
In the corrected version, Marchionne described Fiat as a multinational with economic and industrial operations outside Italy, adding that the company would “carry on.” He also pointed to Fiat’s global sales footprint, citing markets such as Brazil, Canada, Mexico and China. Marchionne insisted that Fiat’s survival was not in question.
Union concerns and plant losses
Speculation about Fiat’s future in Italy has been heightened by the group’s financial difficulties at its five domestic car factories. Unions have warned that closer integration with Chrysler could lead to job losses or reduced operations in Italy. The situation remains tense, with workers’ representatives closely watching any signals from the company’s leadership.
Marchionne has also faced backlash from Italian metalworkers’ union FIOM after announcing the end of national labour contracts from January 2012. The union threatened a general strike in response. Marchionne, for his part, has defended Fiat’s investment plans and rejected pressure from what he described as a minority of union opposition.
