The government had received a knuckle-rapping from the European Commission over strings attached to aid for Opel's eventual buyer - conditions which, according to critics, meant only Magna could compete successfully in the bidding process. "Germany's going to be in a difficult position with the European Commission if it now goes back and says we're not going to fund General Motors' restructuring because, in effect, that says it's undermining state aid rules" Bailey said. The German government has invested an enormous amount of time and political capital into rescuing the company, which it saw as a key component of German industry that could not be allowed to disappear. Full Article at Deutsche Welle