Volkswagen’s largest shareholder and controlling family investors have sharply increased pressure on management, backing plans that could eliminate up to 100,000 jobs as the German automaker responds to weaker profits, tariff-related costs and rising competition from Chinese car brands. Hans Dieter Pötsch, chairman of the board of management of Porsche SE, said the group is at a "historic crossroads" and warned that delaying decisions would deepen its problems. Johannes Lattwein, member of the board of management responsible for finance and IT at Porsche SE, said Volkswagen must cut excess capacity, lower costs and improve decision-making and execution, adding that every option should be considered to restore competitiveness. Porsche SE, the holding company through which the Porsche and Piëch families control Volkswagen, owns 31.9% of the carmaker’s equity and 53.3% of its voting rights. The intervention came as Porsche SE reported adjusted half-year earnings after tax of 949 million euros ($1.1 billion), down 14.5% from a year earlier. Volkswagen shares were down 1% on Friday morning and have fallen nearly 28% so far this year.