A deal with the German industrial giant Siemens was canceled - now Alstom can no longer fail. A top Paris minister is personally involved in the EU's takeover of the Bombardier train division.
Paris (dpa) - France's Economics and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire wants to personally support the EU Commission for the planned takeover of the Bombardier train business by the manufacturer Alstom.
Le Maire said in Paris that he wanted to speak to EU Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. The French TGV manufacturer Alstom had announced that it would take over the train division of the Canadian competitor Bombardier. For this, a price in the range of 5.8 billion to 6.2 billion euros will be due. A letter of intent has already been signed and the deal is expected to be finalized in the first half of next year.
There is nervousness in Paris, because a second blockade in the growing railway technology business is reportedly no longer to be offered. Alstom had failed only a year ago due to concerns of the EU Commission when trying to merge with the train division of Siemens. That had angered politicians in Paris and Berlin.
Alstom boss Henri Poupart-Lafarge was optimistic that EU competition keepers would approve the takeover. The deal with the Canadians is clearly different from the Siemens merger previously planned, he told journalists. "We are confident."
Poupart-Lafarge said the goal of the takeover was not to restructure companies or threaten employment. "The merger is offensive, not defensive." The rail business is in full expansion. However, "adjustments" could occur in individual factories, he did not give details.
The train merger is of great importance for Germany. Of the 40,650 Bombardier employees worldwide, around 6,500 have permanent employees in Germany, according to trade union figures. There are also around 1100 temporary workers. The largest locations are Hennigsdorf, Görlitz and Bautzen. Several hundred people are also employed in Mannheim, Kassel and Siegen. Smaller locations also form Braunschweig and Frankfurt. The Bombardier Group is in crisis and financially badly hit.
Alstom builds the French TGV high-speed trains, regional trains, metros and trams, but also offers technical solutions for rail and signal technology. Bombardier is in business with its Zefiro high-speed trains in China and Italy. Rail and signaling technology, regional trains as well as subways and trams also come from the Canadian-German manufacturer, who also works on Siemens ICE trains.
