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Describing US President Donald Trumps decision to close US borders to EU citizens as an “aberration”, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the move had triggered a historic sell-off on Thursday that saw shares in many of Frances top companies collapse.
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“We will help all companies in which the state has a stake, Air France, Renault,” Le Maire said on French television channel BFM TV.
“Whatever it costs we will be at their side and will support them,” he added without detailing how the government could help such companies. He put the growing cost of measures to soften the economic fallout at “dozens of billions”.
While Air France-KLM and Renault have been hit hard in the sell-off, so has airport operator ADP, which the government had hoped to reduce its stake in. Le Maire said the market conditions were far from opportune for that.
Other big companies in which the state holds a stake such as energy group EDF, utility Engie and defence group Thales have been less impacted.
So far the French government has focused on helping small and mid-sized companies with a series of measures ranging from state-financed short work time scheme for workers whose hours are cut to loan guarantees for small firms struggling with cashflow problems.
“At the end of the day, it will cost dozens of billions of euros. That&Read More – Source
