Majority of French back selling state assets in Renault, Orange, PSA - poll
19/03/2018 16:05
PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - A majority of French voters back
selling all or some of the state's assets in automakers Renault
RENA.PA and Peugeot PEUP.PA , airliner Air France AIRF.PA
and telecoms group Orange ORAN.PA , an opinion poll showed on
Monday.
France announced last year plans to sell some 10 billion
euros worth of stakes in state-owned companies in order to raise
money for a new fund to finance innovation, an election pledge
of President Emmanuel Macron.
State stakes in big groups have long had popular backing,
and the OpinionWay poll showed two thirds of voters still back
it in principle.
But the survey stressed that when it comes to individual
companies, a majority back selling stakes in companies that are
not viewed as public services.
Renault, at the heart of a power struggle over its
ownership, topped the list, with 56 percent in favour of the
state selling at least some of its 15 percent stake.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1QQ051
The survey showed, however, that a majority oppose the
selling of state assets in mail operator La Poste and
electricity provider EDF EDF.PA .
Responses were split about state-owned railway operator
SNCF, with 50 percent opposing any asset sale and 47 percent
backing it.
(Reporting by Ingrid Melander; editing by John Irish)
((ingrid.melander@thomsonreuters.com; +33149495518; Reuters
Messaging: ingrid.melander.reuters.com@reuters.net))