Stellantis CEO again criticizes Europe: "the rules set by Brussels aren't imperfect, they're bad".

In Paris, at the Journée de la Filière on November 4, 2025 at the Cité des Sciences, Antonio Filosa didn't beat about the bush. With one slamming phrase: "the rules set by Brussels are not imperfect, they're bad", the new boss of Stellantis targeted what he sees as the blind spot in European strategy: regulation that imposes a single path (the 100 % electric) without taking account of market realities or purchasing power.

"Three no's, no yes's

On stage, as on television the day before, Antonio Filosa made a simple observation: Europe is the only major automotive region not to have recovered its pre-Covid volumes. The reason, he argued, was a profound mismatch between rules and demand. "What customers want, what they need and what they can afford": the EU would say no to all three. Conversely, in the United States, giving consumers back their freedom of choice would have boosted the market and secured massive investment.

Brussels in the crosshairs

For Antonio Filosa, Europe has "imposed the end of technologies" in which the industry knew how to excel (efficient combustion, hybridization), in favor of a single model, electric, where Chinese automakers have an ecosystem lead: raw materials, batteries, power electronics, right through to assembly. The result: a competitive disadvantage and an acceleration in imports.

Before 2035, correct 2026 and 2030

The CEO does not want a debate on 2035. He is calling for immediate corrections to the 2026 and 2030 levels:

• Light commercial vehicles: "very, very, very bad" trajectory. Current targets make the total cost of ownership too high for craftsmen and small businesses, who then keep their old, more polluting vans. Targets and timetable need to be reviewed.
• Passenger cars: focus on small electric cars (targeted incentives, super-credits) rather than pushing heavier, more expensive segments.

Technology neutrality and fleet renewal

The central theme, repeated with insistence: technological neutrality. In other words, allow several low-carbon solutions to coexist (hybrids, range extenders, low-carbon fuels, etc.) rather than imposing technological exclusivity. Filosa also calls for an accelerated renewal plan for Europe's aging fleet: over 150 million cars are over 12 years old. Replacing these vehicles with recent models, whatever their architecture, would immediately reduce actual emissions.

"The problem isn't China, it's Europe".

Where other executives point the finger at Beijing, Filosa qualifies: Chinese competition is real, but the mistake would be to respond with a single additional constraint. The priority, he says, is to adapt the rules to give European industry time to rebuild a complete ecosystem, from refining to battery cells, without losing further market share.

What the automotive industry is asking for in concrete terms

1. Make 2026 and 2030 more flexible, especially for commercial vehicles.
2. Technological neutrality in 2035 rather than 100 % strict electric.
3. Regulatory advantages for small electric vehicles (bonuses, super-credits).
4. Fleet renewal through targeted and effective mechanisms.
5. Debate on local content to reconstitute an industrial base, without undermining competitiveness.

Beyond the measures, Filosa repositioned the debate on three realities: acceptability to households, competitiveness in the face of integrated Asian ecosystems, and the pace of transformation that the industry can absorb without social disruption. If Brussels opens the door to rapid adjustments, he promises more investment in Europe. Otherwise, capital will go where demand and standards converge.