BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The Volkswagen Group wants to inform its shareholders this Wednesday (from 10 a.m.) about the state of affairs. The past year was turbulent, among other things the long-time boss Herbert Diess (64) had to give way at the top of the group to the younger Porsche boss Oliver Blume (54). Blume is expected to bring more team spirit back to the car giant - but also solve operational problems such as the crisis-ridden software development and the weakening business in the former VW bastion China.

Among other things, investors at the annual general meeting will probably be concerned about the comparatively weak performance of their shares. While the Porsche sports car subsidiary's stock market performance is considered a success - Porsche preferred shares have risen by more than a third since the start - Volkswagen preferred shares, which are also listed on the Dax, have been treading water.

Once again, it is likely to come up that Blume wants to manage the VW Group and Porsche at the same time on a permanent basis. This has not only raised eyebrows among experts on good corporate governance. There has also been repeated criticism of the VW management's adherence to the plant in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. According to human rights organizations, the Uyghur Muslim minority living there is being deliberately suppressed by Beijing.

In addition, the re-election of supervisory board members is on the agenda, including family representative Wolfgang Porsche. He has already exceeded the standard age limit of 75 years for the board. As he is one of the largest shareholders, the supervisory board nevertheless recommends his re-election. Porsche will be 80 years old on the day of the Annual General Meeting and is to rejoin the board for a full term of five years.

The majority situation at Volkswagen is clearly distributed. The holding company of the owner families Porsche and Piëch, Porsche SE, holds the largest share of voting rights with 53 percent, ahead of the State of Lower Saxony with 20 percent and the sovereign wealth fund from Qatar with 17 percent. The preferred shareholders, on the other hand, have no voting rights./men/DP/nas