French government demands to save Bridgestone tire plant

France should invest in Bridgestone's Bethune tire plant to avoid closure. This was announced on Sunday by the president of the Haute-de-France regional council Xavier Bertrand, who in 2022 plans to compete with Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election.

The announcement by Xavier Bertrand, the former French Minister of Labor and Health, increases pressure on the French government to take action to prevent the plant from closing.

Bridgestone last week announced its intention to close its Bethune tire plant, which employs more than 800 people. This provoked a sharply negative reaction from the French government and trade unions.

Xavier Bertrand, who served as Minister of Health in the government of Nicolas Sarkozy from 2005 to 2007, said in an interview with Radio Europe 1 that "everything possible must be done" to avoid closing the plant. He referred to the 2013 precedent when Italy invested in a Bridgestone plant to avoid closures and job losses.