attached you will find a press release.
St. Ingbert supports the initiative "Mayors for a strong automotive location"
The city of St. Ingbert supports the initiative "Mayors for a strong automotive location" and the joint appeal of numerous German mayors to the President of the European Commission, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen. In view of the tense situation in the automotive and supplier industry, the participating municipalities demand a significant acceleration of the European Automotive Package, clear industrial policy signals, technological openness, and the protection of industrial jobs.
The initiative was launched by the mayors of the cities of Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, Friedrichshafen, and Saarbrücken and now represents numerous automotive and supplier locations throughout Germany. Together, they stand for regions where well over 800,000 jobs depend directly or indirectly on the automotive and supplier industry.
The industry is also of great importance for St. Ingbert. Many people from the city and the region work in the automotive industry or for its suppliers. The economic development of the industry therefore has a direct impact on employment, purchasing power, and future prospects locally.
„The transformation of the automotive industry can only succeed if it is designed with discernment and includes the people. Our companies and employees now need planning security, reliable framework conditions, and technological openness. Every lost industrial job affects families and weakens our economic location. Europe must therefore act quickly and send a clear signal for industrial strength and competitiveness,“ emphasizes Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer.
The initiative points out that the automotive industry in Europe is under intense competitive pressure. High energy prices, increasing regulatory requirements, geopolitical uncertainties, and lengthy decision-making processes are jeopardizing investments and employment. According to calculations by the Association of the Automotive Industry, around 100,000 jobs have already been lost in the German automotive industry since 2019. Without political course corrections, further significant job losses could follow by 2035.
The city of St. Ingbert therefore supports the demand for a faster approach by the European Commission. Climate protection, innovation, and industrial value creation must not be played off against each other. The transformation can only be successful if it is economically viable, technologically open, and socially accepted.
