The German government is this week expected to discuss a proposal that would see it buy a 15% stake in Airbus parent EADS: 7.5% from a consortium of German banks and 7.5% from Daimler, which would retain a 7.5% stake.
A buyer is eventually needed for the banks' share, while the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars is believed to want to reduce its exposure to EADS, whose A400M airlifter programme losses have cost it nearly €350 million ($475 million) over the past two years.
However, there is strong opposition within the German government to nationalisation. Daimler is saying only that it wishes to maintain "industrial leadership" of the 22.5% stake held in Germany, which balances the same share held by France as part of a governance agreement forged to balance national interests in the aerospace giant formed 10 years ago with the merger of various European national champions.
Source: Flight International
