Slowing sales lead to temporary closures.
Automaker Stellantis, which owns brands such as Jeep, Peugeot, and Fiat, plans to halt production temporarily at six European plants. According to the French newspaper Les Échos, the closures will affect sites in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland.
Closures confirmed in France and in Italy.
In France, Stellantis confirmed that its plant near Paris will close for two weeks. In Italy, production of the Fiat Panda will be suspended for a week at the Pomigliano plant near Naples. Both subsidiaries cite "difficult" market conditions and the need to "rebalance inventories."
The situation in other European countries.
In Poland, a spokesperson announced that the Tychy plant in southern Poland will be closed for nine days in October. The Eisenach plant in Germany is set to close for five days. In Spain, the Zaragoza and Madrid sites will be shut down for seven and fourteen days, respectively.
Union concerns and competitive pressure
Unions fear that these interruptions are a sign of more permanent closures to come. Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest automaker, is facing declining demand in Europe, new U.S. tariffs, and fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers.
This situation is not unique to Stellantis. Volkswagen has also signaled difficulties by reducing its 2025 forecasts and announcing a plan to cut 35,000 jobs in Germany. This is another sign of the challenges the European automotive industry is facing.