France ‘open’ to temporary state control of Ford plant: fin minister

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said yesterday that he was open to the possibility of the state becoming temporary owner of a doomed Ford plant to prevent large-scale job losses. Around 850 jobs are on the line at the Blanquefort plant in southwest France, which has been turning out gear boxes for Ford since 1972.

Ford last week rejected an offer for the plant, where it plans to halt production by August 2019.That decision infuriated the French government, which has been involved in negotiations to try to find a buyer. Asked whether the state could buy the factory from Ford and then sell it to Franco-Belgian equipment manufacturer Punch Powerglide, whose offer was spurned by the US automaker, he told BFM television: “Why not? I’m open to this kind of solution”.

“I’m open to the most original solution that guarantees the survival of a successful industrial site, which has a good [potential] buyer and workers that are fully committed,” he said.