France laments EU opposition to Siemens-Alstom rail merger
Proponents insist the proposed amalgamation would help fend off competition from expansionist China
Paris — The French government raised the rhetoric against the EU’s expected veto of a high-profile planned rail merger between Alstom and Siemens, calling for a revamp of the region’s antitrust rules and stronger backing of its companies. “I think it’s game over and I deeply regret that because it’s an economic error,’’ French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on France 2 television on Wednesday. The decision goes against European industrial interests and France does not agree with the EU’s technical justification for rejecting the deal, he added. The comments are the latest in an increasingly heated exchange between commission officials and French and German executives and politicians over the troubled deal. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, lashed out on Tuesday at criticism of the long-anticipated decision, saying his message was directed at “those who are saying that the commission is composed of blind, stupid, stubborn tec...
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