The situation of the VAG Group put on the table a possible sale of Ducati, one of the companies in the group that provides the best results, in order to gain liquidity and thus solve parts of its problems. Since then we have seen different movements and statements, but now it has been Minister Adolfo Urso who has spoken out.
He did so during a visit to Borgo Panigale together with the president of Cofindustria, Emanuele Orsini, the president of Emilia-Romagna Michele de Pascale and the mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore. Next to them was Claudio Domenicali as CEO of the company, and there were also worker representatives.
A normal protocol act but one that opens a new avenue in the possibility of Ducati changing hands again. And Urso himself stated that: “I think the time has come for this company to return fully to Italian hands”. A few words that change the line that the Italian executive maintained until now, where the priority was focused on protecting Ducati, the workers and the productive presence in Italy.
With these statements, the government’s position is clear in the event that Volkswagen finally decides to end up selling Ducati. But there is more and it is that he publicly acknowledged that he is trying to understand if the Germans really want to sell Ducati, the conditions and the deadlines, ensuring that Italy was prepared for it.
The magic word for the future of Ducati: Golden Power
Then the Golden Power appeared, a legal instrument that would allow the Government of Italy to intervene, limit or block certain acts of corporate operations or acquisitions of stakes in sectors considered strategic for the national interest.
This mechanism could be key for Ducati to open a new stage in the future in the hypothetical case that, we insist, Volkswagen wants to get rid of it. And no matter how much politicians really want to or take advantage of a controversial issue to gain followers, the truth is that for the moment everything is a pipe dream.
We must not forget that Ducati is not officially for sale, although it is true that within the entire evaluation process of the automotive group, the CEO of Audi, Gernot Döllner, confirmed that it was being studied as a possibility.
There is no doubt that if there is finally a sale, Italy is willing to go all out so that Ducati “stays at home.”
