Italy does not rule out a state stake in Stellantis, the merger of FCA and PSA. With this, Italy would like to ensure that Stellantis does not cease its business activities in the country. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Antonio Misiani made the comment that such a state interest is not an issue for the time being.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica the minister stated that the Italian state is playing with the idea of ​​taking an equity stake in Stellantis. According to Misiani, no conditions have yet been short-circuited about this and therefore a possible state interest would still be delayed. FCA, including suppliers, has 14 factories in Italy. Misiani therefore considers it of great importance for employment and industry in his country that Stellantis remains present in Italy. “The Italian government must monitor, defend and value the presence of Stellantis in Italy,” he told news channel. Sky.
An Italian interest in Stellantis would be comparable to the French state participation of more than 12 percent in PSA. Misiani does indicate that he wants to be open card and not secretly want to build up an interest in the car group. This can have a negative effect on the ties with the Stellantis board and the French. For example, the Dutch state still got bad blood in Paris in 2019 by quietly building up an interest in the airline combination Air France-KLM.