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8/23/09

NYT/Reuters: German Blast GM For Delaying Opel Deal

For the complete report from the NYTimes.com click on this link

German Blast GM For Delaying Opel Deal

German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said he believed a deal was still possible and that talks would continue, but there were angry words from around the country where the carmaker has plants employing some 25,000. Juergen Ruettgers, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state and home to the Bochum works, issued a statement saying the delay was "intolerable." "The United States government now shares responsibility for finding a way past GM's leadership weakness and helping us finally to reach a sustainable decision," he said. The German government, which is barely a month away from a federal election, has offered financial backing for Magna's bid because it believes it would be the best option to save jobs. Roland Koch, conservative state premier of Hesse, where Opel is based, said he was "extremely annoyed," by Friday's outcome. "All the relevant questions have been resolved between GM and Magna," he said. "There's absolutely no justification for this postponement."

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