The day after Engie's decision to agree to sell its shares in Suez to Veolia, against the advice of the directors representing the State, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire estimated on France info that this operation “
will not work
”without an agreement between the two groups.
Denouncing "
the intransigence
" of Suez and "
the haste
" of Veolia, he hoped that "
the discussions will resume immediately
".
"
We were a centimeter away from the agreement
."
“
Forced marriages (...) I don't believe in it.
I think it does not work
", insisted Bruno Le Maire, defending the"
constant
"
position
of the State in favor of an"
amicable agreement
»Between Suez and Veolia.
Before adding: “
Hostile takeovers belong to a capitalism of the past.
(...) Our interest is that there are two champions and that employment is preserved.
"
Read also: Suez-Veolia-Engie: under the watchful eye of the State, a month of pitched battle between three French giants
The Minister of the Economy then specified that he himself was going to take a step back on this file which agitates the place of Paris.
"
I gave a lot in this business and I am thinking above all of the 65 million French people who are worried about their jobs (...), so I will take care of the French.
"
In this showdown that has been going on for weeks between the two French flagships of water and waste treatment, Engie's board of directors decided Monday evening to accept Veolia's offer and sell it its shares, despite the vote to the contrary by the State, a 22% shareholder in Engie.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Engie's two CFDT directors did not take part in the vote, while the CGT director would have voted against and the CGC director would have voted in favor of the transaction, against the opinion. of his federation.
The improved offer from Veolia, which offers Engie 3.4 billion euros (18 euros per share) for 29.9% of Suez, expired Monday at midnight.
Tuesday morning in a press release,
Suez said "take note of the takeover by Veolia
of 29.9% of its capital, in a hostile manner and under unprecedented and irregular conditions
", without giving any additional details.
To read also: Jacques Olivier Martin: "Veolia-Suez: forgetting the time of misunderstandings"
At the microphone of France Inter, the Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne, also reacted.
“
We could say to ourselves that it is good news that we have two major players who come together to make a world champion.
But the conditions in which it takes place are extremely questionable
, ”she said, calling for more“
serenity in these debates
”.
As Minister of Labor, she assured that her "
priority
" was: "
no job cuts
".