The French government has passed a decree that allows it to block any foreign takeovers in strategic sectors. The provision appears to be tailored ad hoc to influence the purchase of Alstom by the US giant General Electric.
From Brussels, the European Commission responded immediately by warning Paris against the temptation of protectionism.
“The objective of protecting strategic interests is essential for every Member State when it comes to security or public order. And it is clearly foreseen in the Treaty. But we need to check if that in this case is applied in a proportionate way, otherwise it would mean protectionism,” said the commissioner for the Internal Market, the French Michel Barnier.
