France remains open to foreign investment: Le Maire By Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) – France remains open to foreign investment after Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard’s possible takeover of France’s Carrefour (PA:CARR) unravelled after running into opposition from the government, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday.

“Our economic policy remains open to foreign investments… The political meaning of this economic decision (to oppose a possible takeover) was that I believe in food sovereignty,” Le Maire told RTL radio.

Couche-Tard dropped its surprise bid for the European retailer over the weekend after the plan ran into opposition from the French government. Some French politicians and notably Le Maire had said the issue was a matter of national food safety.