Audio By Carbonatix
France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he has not signed off on a 5 billion euro ($5.47 billion) state-guaranteed loan to help Renault (RENA.PA) cope with the fallout from the coronavirus, and that discussions continued.
Le Maire told newspaper Le Figaro that the government was seeking commitments from carmakers in three areas in return for help: electric vehicles; the fair treatment of sub-contractors; and that they base hi-tech activities in France.
“Renault is fighting for its survival,” Le Maire said in the interview published late on Thursday. “I haven’t yet signed the loan.”
Sources told Reuters on Monday that Renault had reached an agreement on the loan with banks and that it should be submitted to the board of directors soon, before being formally approved by the finance ministry.
Le Maire said France’s response to the worst depression since World War Two totalled 450 billion euros in aid and state guarantees - 20% of France’s annual national output.
The government forecasts the euro zone’s second-biggest economy will shrink at least 8% this year. Its budget deficit is set to hit a post-war record of 9% of economic output this year.
The European Union has granted member countries all the fiscal leeway they need to deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus, enabling governments to open the spending taps and wave aside EU budget rules that limit government borrowing.
There is no time limit set in the flexibility clause allowing this. Nonetheless, Le Maire said he hoped the rules would remain suspended in 2021.
Latest Stories
-
Photos: Mahama lays wreath at Brest Hero Fortress in Belarus
24 seconds -
Police issue medical form to assaulted Nyinahin SHS student as investigations continue
7 minutes -
Transport Minister launches Safety Water Guards, life jacket initiative for inland waterways
21 minutes -
Photos: Mahama signs three MoUs during state visit to Belarus
23 minutes -
FIFA reverses World Cup water bottle policy in US, Canada as extreme heat looms
36 minutes -
Jordan World Cup 2026 team guide
40 minutes -
Port costs under threat as cargo-tracking fee re-emerges
40 minutes -
One dead, two critical after Accra–Tema Motorway crash; GNFS confirms manhunt for driver
43 minutes -
JoyBusiness AgriBusiness Month highlights threat to Ghana’s indigenous food crops
44 minutes -
Portugal World Cup 2026 team guide
47 minutes -
Austria World Cup 2026 team guide
52 minutes -
Housing as shelter versus housing as investment: The Airbnb debate; regulation that protects affordability without strangling opportunity
58 minutes -
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu extradited from US to Ghana after MASLOC corruption conviction
1 hour -
2026 Breman Odwira Festival will be different – Nana Barima Fi III
1 hour -
Bond market: Turnover rebounds strongly by 240% to GH¢1.62bn
1 hour