Ford is considering selling Volvo Car Corporation (The Financial Times) (not to be confused with AB Volvo, the truck maker) but the Swedish government is unlikely to nationalise the ailing carmaker (Dagens Industri).
Previously known as the healthier half of the Swedish car industry (GM’s SAAB being the other), Volvo is now in crisis. Naturally this problem has encouraged calls for nationalisation or a bailout. Maud Olofsson, minister for trade and industry, counters that the state knows very little about producing or selling cars. She is right – why would the state succeed where Ford has failed? As expected, the Swedish left does not agree (Svenska Dagbladet).
Bankruptcy or nationalisation will both mean the end of Volvo – the latter will merely delay it. If Volvo has a future, it lies in the private sector.
JDR
