German state premier on defensive over close ties with VW

FILE PHOTO: A Volkswagen (VW) logo is seen on a car's front at a scrapyard in Fuerstenfeldbruck, Germany, May 21, 2016. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - The government of Germany's Lower Saxony on Sunday denied a newspaper report that its premier softened speeches critical of Volkswagen in the diesel emissions scandal at the company's request.

Stephan Weil, already facing an unexpected election after the defection of a member of his ruling coalition to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, is under fire for what some see as a too-cozy relationship with VW.