2023-11-13 11:08:00
The Atos file continues to ignite the political class. On Wednesday, Senator Cédric Perrin and president of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the upper house was kept waiting in the Hemicycle. Will the proposed takeover of the digital business services giant by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky be subject to control for foreign investments in France? asked the elected official to the executive. The government will not hesitate to use this tool available to Bercy, assured Jean-Noël Barrot, the minister of digital transition.
Vigilance on the file yes, nationalization no. Bruno Le Maire supported the same day at the Industry Conference : “My responsibility is not to invest in the company [Atos], is to protect the most sensitive technologies, he explained. They will be protected.” He took Segault as an example, whose sale Bercy blocked to the American Flowserve. “Atos does not need the supervision of the State but of investors and industrial partners,” continued Barrot in the Senate.
A “threat” to move the government
Precisely, it is the future investor who worries the most. Tech Foundations and its outsourcing activity, the sick child of Atos, must be sold to businessman Daniel Kretinsky, who also obtains 7.5% of Eviden, the second half of Atos bringing together the businesses the most sensitive and profitable: digital, cloud, big data and cybersecurity.
The arguments put forward by the ministers did not convince the senators of the LR group. According to our information, the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will launch a fact-finding mission on the Atos takeover. It might lead to a parliamentary inquiry. In the National Assembly, deputies Philippe Brun (PS) and Olivier Marleix (LR) are also following the file. A commission of inquiry might follow once the sale operation is completed. For the moment, it is a “threat” to push the government to do everything possible to avoid an Alstom bis.
OnePoint shows its teeth
The arrival in the capital of OnePoint, which now holds 9.9% of Atos and makes it the reference shareholder, has hardly allayed the fears of parliamentarians, nor those of certain small shareholders. Ironically, David Layani’s company had offered 4 billion euros in September 2022 to buy Atos. Bertrand Meunier, the former CEO, rejected this offer, believing that the buyer and his 500 million euros in turnover were not significant enough compared to Atos’ 11 billion in revenue.
David Layani’s company even announced on Wednesday that it had raised financing of up to 500 million euros from the American Carlyle Global Credit. Could this money be used to continue the offensive on the French group?
Certainly the American fund Carlyle, born in the United States in the 1980s from the collusion of military, political and financial interests, should have no direct decision-making power at Atos but the announcement puts into perspective the arguments of sovereignty which had been used David Layani to explain his participation. Will the senators also investigate this possible operation?
1699879392
#Sale #Atos #Kretinsky #Senate #launch #information #mission
