Rather discrete in recent weeks, on the case of Carlos Ghosn, Emmanuel Macron has left his reserve this weekend to reveal that he had directly discussed the fate of the Franco-Brazilian boss, as well as the future of the partnership between Renault and Nissan with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders spoke on the phone Friday night.
Confirming the news Sunday, on the sidelines of his trip to Cairo, Egypt, the President of the Republic explained that he had discussed with the Japanese chief of the executive the long detention of the former Renault CEO and president of Nissan . “I was simply concerned that the fate of a French compatriot respects the minimum of decency that we are entitled to expect,” said, according to AFP, Emmanuel Macron. “I considered that the pre-trial detention was very long and that the conditions of his detention were harsh,” I said repeatedly to Prime Minister Abe, “he added.
These statements will immediately annoy the Japanese executive, which has very little influence over the decisions of its prosecutors, and is increasingly offended by foreign criticism of its judicial system. Asked Monday morning on these French remarks, Yoshihide Suga, the spokesman of the Japanese government, defended the procedures in his country. “It’s a criminal case. Investigations are conducted by fully independent units according to appropriate procedures based on purely judicial decisions, “he said.
Appointment in June
If the exact content of the conversation between Emmanuel Macron and Shinzo Abe is not known, several Japanese media claim that the French leader also directly pleaded for the appointment of Jean-Dominique Senard, the new president of Renault , at the head of board of directors from Nissan.
Since last week, Paris suggests that the “contract” governing balance in the alliance provides anyway this appointment. For the moment, Hiroto Saikawa, the CEO of Nissan , only indicated that he was going to ask Jean-Dominique Senard to join the Japanese automaker’s board of directors in mid-April in order to involve him in the reflection work on the reform of the company’s governance. The appointment of a president is expected to take place later, probably in June.
“Sustainable Alliance”
Questioned on this point, the spokesman of the Japanese executive merely said that the two countries wanted the two companies to maintain a “stable alliance”. A speech that was also held by Emmanuel Macron. “I do not believe at all that what is happening, which is an individual case, is likely to reverse the balance of the alliance” Franco-Japanese, which “showed its stability,” said the French president Sunday, before promising to follow the evolution of the discussions. “We are vigilant that the balances of the alliance are preserved,” he insisted.
If the Japanese executive closely follows developments in the alliance between Renault and Nissan, it appears, for the moment, much less maneuvering than Paris holds 15% of the capital of the French manufacturer, owner himself from 43% of the Japanese group.