During elections at major German automakers, the Zentrum association, which has ties to the far-right AfD party, expanded its influence modestly but noticeably. At Volkswagen’s Braunschweig plant, Zentrum secured two representatives (6.5%) for the first time. Although IG Metall remains the dominant force there with 78.5% of the vote, this represents a sharp decline from its 93% share in 2021. Zentrum also gained two seats (3.7%) at Audi in Ingolstadt for the first time. Furthermore, the right-w
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As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.