![Emmanuel Macron Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/KX76LZFVKBCFHACVWL77CSDQSU.jpg?auth=049d33beaff09f95c1d41df0987ee47ca3a12782acea2d55179ae580a1805dfb&smart=true&width=350&height=263&quality=85)
(Bloomberg) -- President Emmanuel Macron will host a summit on Monday to assure foreign executives that France is open for business, even after the government’s recent opposition to a $20 billion trans-Atlantic retail deal.
The summit will be the fourth of Macron’s annual pre-Davos meetings, usually timed to catch global chief executives in Paris on their way to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps. Though this year that is being held online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Macron’s message will be ‘we aren’t the only ones protecting our strategic assets,’ an official in his office said, asking not to be identified to comply with government rules. Around 50 leaders will participate, the official said, declining to provide the full list.
Investors are aware of the choice made by France and Europe to not be naive when controlling foreign investments, and that’s a choice made by all countries, in particular China and the U.S., which strictly defend their economic interests, the official said.
Perfect Timing
Only last week, politics torpedoed Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. friendly takeover bid of French grocery chain Carrefour SA, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire explaining that ceding one of the country’s biggest supermarket owners to foreign ownership was impossible at a time when Covid-19 lockdowns underlined the strategic importance of food supply.
Though it wasn’t the first time a foreign acquirer was stymied by French concerns about economic sovereignty, it left many investors wondering whether striking significant deals is possible in the country before the 2022 presidential election.
Monday’s summit will be held behind closed doors, and Nestle, Ericsson, Snapchat, Inditex, Solvay, Accenture, and Ferrero are among companies that will attend, according to the Elysee official. Couche-Tard wasn’t invited.
The official said executives are expected have questions about the early rejection of the Couche-Tard proposal, while also stating that the government’s objection shouldn’t have come as surprise.
The rules are clear for all foreign investors, the official said.
France has a strong tradition in intervening in the economy and former investment banker Macron is no exception, despite pledges to cut red tape to attract more foreign investors. Last year, the French foreign minister helped LVMH’s owner Bernard Arnault, who happens to be a shareholder in Carrefour, extricate itself from a purchase of Tiffany, effectively buying it a better deal.
Attractiveness, for foreign investors, isn’t only about buying French companies, but also attracting talent or building industrial sites, the official said.
Últimas Noticias
Debanhi Escobar: they secured the motel where she was found lifeless in a cistern
Members of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Nuevo León secured the Nueva Castilla Motel as part of the investigations into the case
![Debanhi Escobar: they secured the](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/CAS54QYLCFBIPAILYKUDUF57OM.jpg?auth=7a6e5a56a9441888323cf7c312518cc0af0529d20b06a438bb7efaa3841e676e&smart=true&width=350&height=197&quality=85)
The oldest person in the world died at the age of 119
Kane Tanaka lived in Japan. She was born six months earlier than George Orwell, the same year that the Wright brothers first flew, and Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize
![The oldest person in the](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/LBRQOZYASBEMXFTT45MB2LEJHU.jpg?auth=74a2671165cf75fcdc667783ab0c801dc462698e31f58aaab08c14aedb1e6110&smart=true&width=350&height=197&quality=85)
Macabre find in CDMX: they left a body bagged and tied in a taxi
The body was left in the back seats of the car. It was covered with black bags and tied with industrial tape
The eagles of America will face Manchester City in a duel of legends. Here are the details
The top Mexican football champion will play a match with Pep Guardiola's squad in the Lone Star Cup
![The eagles of America will](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/C7VDCDTHG5COZD3FA37CETBKOA.jpg?auth=33f61d7af21205c1860d252bc44bba98b215ed24a44abf8084bea4e323289c1c&smart=true&width=350&height=197&quality=85)
Why is it good to bring dogs out to know the world when they are puppies
A so-called protection against the spread of diseases threatens the integral development of dogs
![Why is it good to](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/75MJY5GCJBBMLEJTV3OPP5LZRU.jpg?auth=d0dcc2212daa14d587a615b0a18bee919ca9647aa36aa576bac9812c9ebc8d0e&smart=true&width=350&height=197&quality=85)