Fiat CEO Faces Questions About Commitment to Italy

Italy's Industry Minister Flavio Zanonato says he will meet next week with Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat SpA and chairman of Fiat Industrial SpA, to ask him about the country's role in the future of the two companies.

Fiat Industrial, which was spun off from Fiat in January 2011, has said it will move its fiscal headquarters to the U.K. for tax purposes.

Bloomberg News reported last week that the Turin-based carmaker is considering relocating to the U.S. after it completes its merger with Chrysler Group LLC. Three-quarters of Fiat's operating profit came from North America last year.

Fiat denies it is planning such a move. The idea alarms many in Italy, which is still reeling from the devastating impact of the European debt crisis on the country's economy and employment.

Italy's labor leaders and politicians have been uneasy about Fiat's intentions since Marchionne first raised the possibility of an American headquarters in February 2011. The furor then prompted Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to summon the CEO to a meeting with senior government officials.