"Made in France" rebel ex-minister joins Habitat

Cafom SA

19/03/2015 12:45

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - Arnaud Montebourg, the leftist 
former economy minister who led a "made in France" campaign to 
promote French-made goods, was named on Thursday vice-president 
for innovation of Habitat furniture group outside Britain. 
    "Habitat is a brand that can proudly wear the colours of 
'made in France'," Montebourg said in a statement of the group 
founded in Britain in the 1960s. France's Cafom acquired its 
continental European stores in 2011. 
    Montebourg served as industry minister for two years and 
briefly won new powers as economy minister before being sacked 
last year for criticising budget savings made by President 
Francois Hollande's Socialist government to narrow its deficit. 
    Montebourg made an international name for himself in 2012 by 
posing for a magazine in a Breton stripey jersey bearing a 
French-made food mixer, part of his campaign to boost local jobs 
by convincing consumers to shun imported products. 
    Once a presidential hopeful, he said after being sacked that 
he was putting his ambitions as a professional politician on ice 
to gain experience in the private sector. 
 
 (Reporting by Mark John; Editing by Ingrid Melander) 
 ((paris.newsroom@reuters.com; +33 1 49 49 5339; Reuters 
Messaging: mark.john.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: FRANCE MONTEBOURG/HABITAT