Volkswagen has reportedly decided not to build a new factory in Turkey. The decision has wide-ranging effects for the automobile industry throughout the region, but nowhere so much as in Bratislava. Because media reports are pointing to VW’s factory there as the place where the new Passat and Superb models will be built. Given the popularity of the two cars across Europe and the difficulties faced by the automobile sector at the moment, it’s highly positive for the factory and for the city to be chosen as the factory for VW’s future. But the decision also solves what was a growing question for VW, which was how to use untapped capacity at the Bratislava factory. There’s been concern in the Slovak capital that layoffs could be coming in the name of efficiency, but if this latest news is confirmed, it should provide a greater feeling of security to employees.
