The hypothesis of closure of the Fiat plants in Mirafiori and Pomigliano, aired today by Repubblica, was denied by Welfare Minister Elsa Fornero, after hearing from the top management of the Turin car manufacturer: “I spoke to Sergio Marchionne and John Elkann. I had the reassurance from both that the press reports about the closure of plants in Italy are groundless".
“Both the president and the CEO of the Fiat group – explained the Minister of Labor in a note – they reiterated to me that the commitment undertaken towards our country is also confirmed and strengthened by the Chrysler operation. For my part – concluded Fornero – I have expressed confidence in this commitment and I have renewed my hope that Fiat can continue to represent one of the main players in our industrial system, guaranteeing at least the current levels of employment”.
According to the newspaper Repubblica, however, Melfi and Cassino risk nothing while the real object of the "sacrifice" invoked by Marchionne could in the end be the Mirafiori and Pomigliano factories in Turin (with the new Panda being diverted to Poland or Serbia).
