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The City may yet rue VW's Libor moment

Some bankers cannot resist a bit of Schadenfreude as another industry faces a crisis. But the VW scandal will only fuel disillusionment with big business as a whole

VW has been left battered and bruised by the emissions scandal. But could big business as a whole pay the price?
VW has been left battered and bruised by the emissions scandal. But could big business as a whole pay the price? Photo: iStock

The Germans probably have a word for it. A long one. It’s a bit more complicated than Schadenfreude. It’s more a feeling that someone else’s misfortune could be good for you by diverting attention away from your problems, tempered by a nagging concern that it might end up being bad for everyone.

Whatever the word is, that's what some in the City are feeling about the Volkswagen crisis.

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