According to a report by Reuters, Marchionne was disrupted during his speech by a man who kept shouting “Shame!” in Italian. Another group of people released a banner in the downtown ballroom with the help of helium balloons.
The aforementioned Fiat plant from Sicily is scheduled to be closed down after 2011. Marchionne was visibly upset with the protesters and told the press the decision was irreversible. "We have decided to shut down a plant in Sicily. That decision is irreversible," said Fiat and Chrysler’s CEO.
He then proceeded to give his thoughts on the matter and said European governments were wrong to interfere in the auto industry in order to help protect people’s jobs.
"The reason, simply put, is that European manufacturers simply do not close plants. In fact, they're often paid not to," he continued, hinting that he disapproved of the government’s subsidies that “distorted” the European car market. "We are the largest industrial organization in Italy but we do not have the responsibility to govern the country," Marchionne said of Fiat. "The argument stops there," he said at the Automotive News World Congress.
Sergio Marchionne continued then emphasizing the difficult times that still lie ahead for the automotive industry despite being one year after the financial crisis that sent Chrysler and GM into bankruptcy. He added that he believes only six major automotive manufacturers will survive to fight for dominance over the next decade. “I think there will be five or six people who rule the roost," he said.
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