Pierer about Metaller: – “Whatever comes out will cause an avalanche”

He mumbled less than usual and yet with every word you felt how concerned Styrian-born Stefan Pierer is and how critical he is about developments in Austria and Europe. “At the beginning of the year my expectations for this year were realistically optimistic, but now I would say that what awaits us is realistically tough,” emphasized the KTM boss during the Advent reception of the Upper Austrian Industrial Association in the Tabakfabrik in Linz. In his speech, the spokesperson of the domestic industry said about…

• Developments in the economy: “We are observing the opposite development of globalization worldwide. Companies that invest there benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act in the US. Countries in Southeast Asia are also starting to take similar measures. From a European perspective, people are forced to invest in such regions to avoid tariffs. What is the consequence? This production, capacity and employees can no longer be found in Europe. This process has been going on for a long time and will now begin on a large scale.”
• Austrian politics: “We have tried many things, for example under the motto ‘Performance must be worthwhile’. What we did for miles, what we discussed. And what happened? Not even a dribble step. We are at a standstill in Austria because of the blockade by the Greens. We are now eight to ten months away from an election, so you can imagine what will happen between now and then – which is nothing. What is interesting is that despite these difficult circumstances, the dream of prosperity without performance is quite widespread. This is shocking. I really don’t have access to that.”
• The current pay rounds: “Whatever comes out of the metaller negotiations will cause a huge avalanche. The companies that are positioned globally will move. What’s left here? I am very concerned about our small and medium-sized businesses. That touches me.”

• Looking ahead to next year: “We will see a real recession. It remains to be seen whether this will weaken by the end of the year and whether there will be a rebound. There will be no growth from America, and China will not bring much growth for us Europeans either. Due to the difficult situation in China, the good companies in China are starting to export things – starting with electric lawn mowers and going all the way to electric cars. They will now aggressively flood our markets.”

• The perspective for Austria: “It doesn’t look good for next year, but there is only one message: ‘Let’s give up a letter.’ And from my own experience I say: the crisis is an opportunity. As long as we don’t have a huge crisis in Europe and here, nothing will change. We are fighting, we are not giving up, but this fight is costing jobs on site.”