Volkswagen’s board sees an existential threat to the company (1 photo)

The German concern's situation is worse than previously thought.



The internal situation at Volkswagen has turned out to be significantly more critical than previously thought. According to an anonymous survey conducted among members of the company's management board and supervisory board, senior management is extremely concerned about the company's prospects. Der Spiegel reports this, citing an investigation by colleagues at Manager Magazin.

Six of the nine Volkswagen management board members surveyed directly described the current situation as posing a threat to the very existence of the business. The remaining three top managers described the situation as "tense," while no one selected the answer "no crisis" or "the situation is not critical."

Following the survey, all nine board members unanimously supported the need for an immediate and radical overhaul of the global development strategy. In particular, the top management critically assessed the automotive giant's current operations and plans in key international markets, including China and North America.

Earlier, the brands within the Volkswagen Group reported weak financial results for the first quarter of 2026, recording a 28% drop in net profit.