German Auto Industry Body Elects New Leader

Germany’s former transport minister Matthias Wissmann has been appointed president of the German automotive industry association ‘Verbands der Automobilindustrie’ (VDA). The VDA held a special meeting in Berlin on the afternoon of March 26 to officially elect the new president, who replaces Bernd Gottschalk following his resignation a fortnight earlier.

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported that Wissmann, a member of the country’s dominant Christian Democrat party, was selected because of his good political contacts in both Berlin and Brussels. The German automotive industry hopes that his excellent communication skills will enable him to effectively represent their interests, especially in the important CO2 debate.