In a recent interview, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares lit the fuse, leaving the door open to a possible merger with another group, should the opportunity arise. Several media outlets have been quick to speculate about a possible new merger, apparently looking for who Stellantis could team up with. First of all we had the right to General Motors and, even more surprisingly, at least to us French, Renault group.

But Stellantis president John Elkann was quick to dispel speculation about a possible merger between the Franco-Italian-American car group and Renault. In a press release issued Monday, John Elkann categorically denied any plans to merge with other manufacturersclaiming that Stellantis is “fully focused on the implementation of its already announced strategic plan”.

It all starts in Italy

Stellantis’ denial came after information published by the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero about a planned merger between Stellantis and Renault initiated by the French government, a shareholder of both companies. The French government, which owns a significant stake in Stellantis and a 15% stake in Renault, is rumored to intends to strengthen its influence in the European automotive sector. However, Stellantis denied these rumors. The French government, for its part, did not wish to comment on the matter, as did the Renault group.
The speculation comes in a context where the Italian government led by Giorgia Maloni and Stellantis management have exchanged sharp criticism in the press. Georgia Maloney accused Stellantis of favoring French interests after PSA’s 2021 merger with Fiat-Chrysler, while Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis, criticized Rome for not supporting the transition to electric vehicles enough. In a recent statement, Giorgia Maloney stressed that public subsidies should not be targeted at a specific company, in response to comments by Carlos Tavares about the need for Italy to protect jobs in the automotive sector.

Stellantis between two waters?

The dispute comes as the Italian government announced a 950 million euro financial incentive to encourage Italians to buy less polluting vehicles in 2024, a measure aimed at boosting the domestic car industry. In this atmosphere of tension and speculation, the future of Stellantis and its relationship with the French and Italian governments remains under scrutiny.

But in any case, it is difficult for us to imagine three main French brands under one umbrella.

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