Macron hails €20 billion in investment with a focus on AI at ‘Choose France’ summit
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed billions of dollars of investment in artificial intelligence-focused projects at a "Choose France" summit in Versailles on Monday. The summit came as Macron's government faces mounting pressure to curb job cuts amid economic strain worsened by US President Donald Trump's trade policies.
This year's "Choose France" business summit should bring in a total of €37 billion ($41.35 billion) worth of investments, Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Monday.
The summit, aimed at drawing money from big international businesses to France, should bring in €20 billion worth of new deals and €17 billion worth of already pledged projects, Lombard told RTL radio.
"This is 20 billion euros of totally new projects and, if you remember that a few weeks ago the president hosted a meeting of investors in artificial intelligence and data centres, and 17 billion euros were also pledged," Lombard said.
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President Emmanuel Macron's government is under pressure to stem a wave of job cuts in industry, as upheaval fuelled by US President Donald Trump's trade policies puts further pressure on Europe's flagging economy.
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"Amid worldwide competition, France shows it has weapons, France is on the offensive to attract capitals," Lombard said, as he also reiterated the government should be able to meet the country's 2025 target for economic growth of 0.7%.
Macron’s personal efforts to woo international business leaders, making the Choose France summits at the opulent Palace of Versailles a must-attend for the global corporate elite, have been credited for a turnaround in past investor perceptions of France as a high-tax, sclerotic economy.
Last year's gathering raised €15 billion.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)