When Stellantis was born in 2021 from the merger between PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, everything was based on an architecture designed to maintain a Franco-Italian balance. Five directors from the Peugeot orbit and five from the Agnelli side were to guarantee stable governance, while former PSA boss Carlos Tavares was given a five-year term as CEO. This apparently solid symmetry began to crack in December 2024 with Tavares' early resignationwho was supposed to stay until 2026 before retiring.
Since June 2025, Stellantis has been headed by Antonio Filosa, a figure from the former FCA, supported at the time by Robert Peugeot himself. But this shift towards Italo-American leadership has profoundly altered the internal balance and rekindled a growing concern on the French side: that of seeing Peugeot's influence in the world's fourth-largest automotive group diminish with each passing year.
One chair, two heirs and a family rift
Tension is now palpable within the dynasty. Before the end of 2025, the three family holdings - Établissements Peugeot Frères, Peugeot Invest and Peugeot 1810 - must appoint a single representative to the Stellantis Board of Directors. This seat, currently occupied by Robert Peugeot, has become the symbol of a strategic confrontation between two opposing visions: that of the elder Robert, loyal architect of the PSA-FCA merger, and that of his cousin Xavier, head of DS and the last family member still directly involved in the industrial business.
Reports from Neuilly-sur-Seine, where family decisions are made, concur: Xavier Peugeot has the upper hand, according to several sources who attended internal presentations in November. His approach appeals to some members of the family, who are keen to give the clan a more industrial orientation and strengthen its capital presence, in contrast to the diversification strategy advocated by Peugeot Invest.
Robert, 75, embodies continuity. For him, Filosa's rise to prominence and the ascendancy of former FCA executives are merely a natural pendulum movement after PSA's long domination under Tavares. He believes that skills should take precedence over nationality, and that it is not the role of the Board of Directors to interfere in day-to-day operations. His camp is quick to point out that the governance of a global group cannot be steered by identity-based reflexes, especially in the face of Exor, the leading shareholder with over 15 % of the capital.
Xavier, 60, takes a completely different view. He relies on the reluctance of his brother Thierry, who back in 2014 opposed, unsuccessfully, the recapitalization plan that introduced the French state and the Chinese group Dongfeng to PSA's capital. For the two brothers, the family should have taken advantage of the boom years under Tavares to climb back above 8 %, a threshold that could potentially enable them to claim two seats on the board. They believe it is still possible to exercise this option by buying out Dongfeng's current shareholding, even if Peugeot Invest now favors diversification rather than strengthening its position in Stellantis.
The fear of French obliteration
The appointment of the future Peugeot representative is not just a personal duel: it crystallizes the unease of a clan that already feared losing its influence, and which is now watching Stellantis' center of gravity slide towards Detroit and Turin. Since Filosa took over, a number of strategic functions in Europe, South America, design and operations have been entrusted to executives who had previously worked for FCA. The founding balance of the merger seems to be eroding with each passing month.
In France, questions are multiplying about the Group's industrial future: investments, plant maintenance, product range orientation, distribution of decision-making centers... All subjects on which part of the family feels that the French voice is no longer sufficiently audible. Some of the group's executives share this concern, observing a gradual weakening of the PSA culture in the management bodies. Added to this is a quiet but ongoing rivalry with the Agnelli family. Exor, chaired by John Elkann, retains a decisive influence on Stellantis' strategic orientations. The potential disappearance of Robert Peugeot from the board, combined with the lack of internal consensus on the French side, could further accentuate this imbalance.
A choice that could redefine Stellantis
The stakes therefore go far beyond the question of a mandate. The expected decision, which the family may postpone for a few weeks, will determine the nature of its presence within Stellantis in the years to come. For the first time since the merger, the Peugeots no longer seem aligned on a common strategy. And in the face of Exor, this division could have a lasting effect on France's ability to influence group governance. Filosa, for its part, is pursuing its roadmap without publicly expressing the slightest preference, but everyone knows that a more proactive family representative could weigh in on board discussions in 2026, particularly on future platforms, industrial investments or the distribution of global decision-making centers.
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