Michel Barnier stated, on Tuesday, November 5, that he wanted ” know “ What the Auchan and Michelin groups have done, which plan to close several plants, which will cause the loss of thousands of jobs. “public money that we gave them”.
“I’m not proud (…) of a policy that would destroy jobs, never”added the Prime Minister before the National Assembly, questioned by the president of the communist group, André Chassaigne, during the session of questions to the government. “I am concerned about what we did in these groups with the public money we gave them. I want to know it. And then we are going to ask questions and see if this money was used well or badly, to learn lessons from it.”development.
Mr Barnier said he was “disagree” with Michelin’s decision to close its plants in Vannes (Morbihan) and Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), where a total of 1,254 employees work. He said he met with his general director, Florent Menegaux, “a few days ago”.
Foreign competition
The distributor Auchan, for its part, plans to close a dozen stores, in an attempt to relaunch after several complicated years, which have resulted in the loss of 2,389 jobs.
The Prime Minister hoped that these groups could “work with the local fabric, local elected officials (…) unions, local employers, chambers of commerce” For ” put (…) “We bring together all the tools we have to support each collaborator individually and support these territories in the possibility of reconversion”.
“We must create or recreate industrial employment, as well as maintain agricultural employment in our country”stated the head of Government, referring to the creation at the beginning of 2025 of a “industrial savings account”as well as “European responses” with “less naivety” facing foreign competition “not always loyal”.
