Germany news: Union slams Audi CEO for joining Trump at campaign rally, while Chancellor Merz and President Steinmeier embark on separate Asia tours

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner drew criticism on Monday for appearing alongside US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, where Trump announced a $4 billion Audi plant producing 200,000 SUVs annually. IG Metall head Christiane Benner called the appearance "deeply embarrassing" and said it breached Audi's political neutrality rules, which bar such appearances in the three months before an election. Benner said the investment must be approved by Volkswagen's supervisory board. Audi said it accepted the invitation solely in Audi's best interests and took the perception of political support seriously; a person familiar said management had cleared an exception to the code. Lower Saxony premier Olaf Lies said the appearance made Döllner part of a political spectacle. Automotive expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer called him a "mini Elon Musk." Metzler analysts said the US decision was right despite optics. Separately, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is visiting Singapore, Japan and South Korea, and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is travelling to China.

Where accounts differ. Deutsche Welle and Reuters-sourced reports differ on whether Audi's management board cleared an exception to the code of conduct, a claim made only by The Globe and Mail; the Georgia state support figure of $1.4 billion appears only in The Globe and Mail.

Deutsche Welle (DW)bdnews24.comThe Globe and Mail

Written by AI from these outlets' articles: facts they report, claims attributed, numbers checked against the sources. It may still contain errors; read the originals.