Mercedes chief: We do not want Germany to sink to Hungary's level

Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, calls for significant changes to improve Germany's industrial competitiveness, emphasizing the need to reduce labor costs and increase productivity. He warns that without meaningful changes, industrial activity in Germany could decline significantly in the next decade. Källenius compares international cost levels, noting that Germany's costs are much higher than those in Hungary and Romania. He expresses openness to proposals allowing companies to deviate from collective agreements in exchange for investments in future product development. Despite job cuts in Germany, he reaffirms Mercedes-Benz's commitment to domestic production and long-term investments.