[Texas Eagle]

Interesting. Are oil companies the only businesses that are state-owned in the land of the cheese eating surrender minkeys?

[Shermy]

I believe this accurate-

Elf was privatized, and merged with Total and Fina to make TotalFinaElf.

The new company was recently renamed Total.

The largest shareholders of Total, and some of its officers, are in-laws of Canadian PM Jean Chretien.

Total had major "agreements" for oil rights in Iraq via Saddam.

Chretien never answered questions whether his anti-war policy with Saddam was discussed with his relatives.


Chretien never ansered

[dighton]

"State ownership of French companies dates back to the post World War II period of 1945, when all the major utilities, automaker Renault, and Air France were taken over by the government. Beginning in 1982, Socialist president François Mitterrand nationalized some 40 leading banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions. It was not until a Conservative government came into power in 1986 that privatizations, notably of the big banks, got under way. Since then, the Socialists have taken a decidedly new tack, joining the Conservatives in the denationalization process."

[Deb]

Air Bus is owned by the French government which is why they can undercut Boeing and other American companies and still survive.