France's Economy Minister urges businesses to ‘show patriotism’ in face of US tariffs

Following the US announcement of large-scale tariffs on imports in early April, France’s President Emmanuel Macron appealed to the country's business community to take collective and concerted action instead of acting individually.

As journalists of the Le Figaro newspaper note, half a month later the rhetoric of the French government has not changed. According to a speech by the country's Economy Minister Eric Lombard on Sunday, the eurozone authorities are now facing pressure. He said business leaders need to “show patriotism,” particularly by cooperating with other nations in the bloc.

Eric Lombard also supported the idea put forward by the president to suspend French investment projects in the United States.

Le Figaro notes that the minister is not the only authoritative person to make such calls. On Friday on TF1, Michel-Edouard Leclerc, head of E. Leclerc centers, called for a “patriotic” approach to the situation with US tariffs. He said the heads of major French corporations should not sign an agreement with the United States before intergovernmental negotiations.