Triple failure at Peugeot Citroën

The French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroën on Thursday announced it would close its plant in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris and axe a further 8,000 jobs, according to the company due to a significant drop in sales. The massive cuts are not just the result of economic considerations, the left-liberal daily Libération writes: "At least three questions must be asked: First about the responsibility of the managers and shareholders whose strategy has so badly failed. Did they do all they could in time to avoid making mistakes that stand to cost PSA a large amount of money? Another question that presents itself is whether car makers really face the choice of relocating or going under. Renault, which is less based in France, is not facing ruin. The third question is about the role of politics, which was were clearly unable to hinder the social catastrophe as it approached and must now shoulder part of the responsibility. How can productivity be stimulated when industry is closing shop? That is the challenge facing the new president."

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