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VW CEO Blume: promotes diversity

Photo: IPON / IMAGO

Volkswagen boss Oliver Blume wants to promote democracy and diversity at a demonstration against right-wing extremism in Wolfsburg on Sunday. At the rally in front of the city's town hall, which Volkswagen and its works council are also calling for, Blume will be one of the main speakers on the podium alongside VW works council boss Daniela Cavallo and Wolfsburg's mayor Dennis Weilmann (CDU), the organizers announced on Friday.

The demonstration under the motto “For democracy and cohesion” was called by the alliance “Joining forces of the Wolfsburg Democrats”, which includes trade unions, churches, the CDU, SPD, FDP and Green parties as well as VfL Wolfsburg as well as Volkswagen and its works council. The organizers expect up to 15,000 participants.

"The Volkswagen Group and Porsche AG are aware of their social responsibility and stand for democratic cohesion," said Blume, who is also the head of the sports car manufacturer Porsche, according to the statement. »In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to strengthen this solidarity. On February 18th, together with many people on the town hall square in Wolfsburg, we want to take a clear position: for diversity, democracy and a cosmopolitan attitude." Works council boss Cavallo said: "Values ​​such as diversity, tolerance, cosmopolitanism and partnership form the basis of our group .”

After it became known that a meeting between the radical right and AfD politicians as well as individual members of the CDU and the very conservative “Union of Values” in Potsdam was announced, several company bosses had already taken a stand against right-wing extremism and racism. “Now is the moment when you have to get up,” said railway boss Richard Lutz recently in an interview with “Bild”. He himself has personally taken part in several demonstrations against right-wing extremism, most recently at the large demonstration on February 3rd in Berlin. Unlike the VW boss now, he did not appear as a speaker there.

mic/dpa