Supervisory Board Chairman and major shareholder of
Rhoen-Klinikum AG (RHK.XE) Eugen Muench said Wednesday he would
support a motion to lower the company's strict voting threshold
statutes.
The private hospital operator requires a 90% voting majority for
major decisions, which allows minor shareholders to create a
blocking minority more easily than at companies with lower
thresholds.
Mr. Muench showed support at Wednesday's general assembly for a
motion put forth by major shareholder Alecta to reduce the majority
voting threshold.
Last year, an attempted take-over by Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
(FRE.XE) failed to make it over this hurdle after competitor
Asklepios Kliniken GmbH bought shares, effectively stifling the
deal.
Mr. Muench said at the meeting that new shareholders Asklepios
and pharmaceutical company B. Braun Melsungen AG were collectively
damaging the company and industry by preventing the takeover.
"Keeping a blockade for the sake of keeping a blockade without
taking responsibility for the further development of the industry,
certainly doesn't correspond to my understanding of business
ethics," he said at the general assembly.
Write to Heide Oberhauser at heide.oberhauser@dowjones.com