Bruno Le Maire

France vows to bar Facebook digital currency Libra in Europe

International — Link

French economy and finance minister Bruno Le Maire has said France will seek to prevent Facebook's digital currency Libra from rolling out in Europe, arguing that it represents 'risks of abuse of dominant position, risks to sovereignty and risks for consumers and for companies'.

French minister says Renault could reduce Nissan stake to save alliance

International — Link

French carmaker Renault, partly state-owned, could reduce its stake in its Japanese counterpart Nissan in an effort to save the strained commercial alliance between the two marques, said France's economy and finance minister Bruno Le Maire, adding that French plans for a merger between the two, resisted by Nissan, could be abandoned.

France seeks to fend off blame for collapse of Fiat-Renault deal

France — Link

Fiat-Chrysler pulled out of the talks, saying the 'political conditions' in France did not currently exist for such a merger to proceed successfully.

France pledges to fight for plant where GE plans 1,044 job cuts

France — Link

General Electric's cost-saving plan calls for cutting up to 1,044 positions, mainly at its Belfort site in east France, which employs 4,300 people. 

Why plans to cap top-up pensions for France's bosses are just for show

France — Analysis

Over the years there have been repeated scandals about the lavish top-up pensions awarded to the bosses of some of France's biggest firms, most recently involving Renault, Airbus and energy industry engineering firm TechnicFMC. Now, in a bid to end such controversies, the government's finance minister Bruno Le Maire is promising legislation to restrict the level of these lucrative perks. But as Mediapart's Martine Orange reports, the measure already looks as if it will be little more than window dressing.

French finance minister says protests 'economic catastrophe'

France — Link

The continuing street demonstrations and blockades in France mounted by the so-called 'Yellow Vest' movement demanding an end to falling living standards for lower-income earners has become a 'catastrophe for our economy' said French finance minister Bruno Le Maire as he visited parts of Paris where commercial premises and vehicles were vanadlised during weekend protests.

French deficit to rise as economic growth slows

France — Link

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said economic results are unsatisfactory 'compared to our European neighbours'.

French minister unveils inflammatory privatization bill

France — Link

President Macron’s government is getting ready to sell off its stakes in national giants in its planned loi PACTE amid opposition protests.

France urges Germany to be more ambitious for eurozone

International — Link

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, speaking in German to a business conference in Berlin, said France and Germany had 'a way to go' in order to reach a common position for an ambitious reform of the eurozone, adding, 'We must act, it is now or never'.

France set to sell off Paris airports and lottery

France — Link

Economy minister Bruno Le Maire says he will seek parliament’s approval to abolish the minimum state holdings in four major companies.

France urges Berlin to seize 'historic opportunity' on Europe

France — Link

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire warned that the bloc could succumb to nationalism if they failed in their attempts at reform.

French plans to tax online giants face real-world obstacles

France — Analysis

France is spearheading a plan to tax the turnover of internet giants that manage to avoid paying corporate taxes on profits in European countries where they operate. But despite its bold appearance, and the backing of seven other countries, the plan is beset by political and highly technical problems. And even at this embryonic stage it has little chance of succeeding, writes Romaric Godin.

Macron government cuts taxes for wealthy in first budget

France — Link

Ministers insist 2018 budget will benefit both rich and poor after criticism from left-wing critics over slashing of a tax on financial investments.

President Macron's trio of thorny problems as new political year begins

France — Analysis

The first series of the Macron show has come to an end. Now, as the political world returns after the summer break, the show threatens to become more of a (grim) reality TV series. President Macron is confronted by three main issues: his economic policy is right-wing, many of his key measures are unpopular and he lacks heavyweight communicators in his party's ranks. As a result the new head of state seems set to change his communication strategy and get more involved in the fray. Mediapart's editor François Bonnet reports.

The IMF's curious support for Macron's economic strategy

France — Analysis

To the immense satisfaction of France's finance ministers, the International Monetary Fund recently lavished praise on the new French government's economic policies. Yet the IMF's comments on French policy run contrary to the organisation's own admissions over its past analytical failings, its change in economic thinking and much of its own internal research. Romaric Godin says this inevitably raises questions about whether the IMF was taking a political stance towards President Emmanuel Macron's new administration rather than giving economic analysis.