Oliver Blume

In 2026, Blume renewed a more radical restructuring of Volkswagen, with a scenario involving approximately 50 000 further job cuts, factory closures and business disposals. He faced opposition from the works council and the state of Lower Saxony.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Disclosures revealed direct exchanges between Oliver Blume and Christian Lindner concerning e-fuels and the European ban on new combustion engines. Blume had also claimed internally that Porsche had helped secure a place for e-fuels in coalition discussions.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

When Blume became head of Volkswagen while remaining Porsche CEO, major investors and governance specialists raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, especially during Porsche's stock market flotation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Under Blume, Volkswagen faced strong pressure from NGOs and investors concerning its site and supply chains linked to Xinjiang. An external audit of the Urumqi site found no indications of forced labour, but its methodology and the local political conditions were strongly challenged.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Blume initiated a Volkswagen restructuring considered a break with several decades of social compromise. Following strikes and lengthy negotiations, an agreement provided for the removal of more than 35 000 positions in Germany without immediate compulsory redundancies or immediate site closures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Under Blume's leadership, Porsche accepted a fine of 535 million euros imposed by Stuttgart prosecutors in 2019 for negligent supervisory failures that had contributed to the sale of non-compliant diesel vehicles.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility