Illustration of a Brittany Ferries boat.

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Fred Tanneau / AFP

  • The elected representatives of the Brittany Regional Council must vote on Thursday for financial assistance of 30 million euros in favor of Brittany Ferries.

  • The shipping company is currently going through dark hours, weighed down by the health crisis.

  • Many lines between France and England have been closed until further notice by the management of Brittany Ferries.

Do everything to avoid sinking.

In Brittany and Normandy, elected officials have been mobilized for several weeks to try to keep Brittany Ferries afloat.

Plagued by the health crisis, the shipping company, based in Roscoff (Finistère), is going through a troubled period.

The situation has even turned into a disaster since mid-August with the fortnight imposed by the British authorities on travelers disembarking on its soil.

With only 200,000 passengers transported this summer, against 780,000 a year ago, Brittany Ferries was thus forced to close many lines between France and England and to put some of its crew on short-time work.

To help it "get over this extremely difficult course", the government pledged on September 15 to release fifteen million euros for the shipping company.

“A first step” hailed by Loïg Chesnais-Girard and Hervé Morin, presidents of the Brittany and Normandy regions, but which will not be enough.

"The stake is clearly the rescue of Britanny Ferries by strong measures, registered in the duration, at the height of an exceptionally difficult situation", they had reacted in a press release.

The two regions announced in the wake of their participation in a rescue plan to the tune of 85 million.

"Do everything to save our pavilion"

A first aid of 30 million euros will also be voted this Thursday in Rennes on the occasion of the session of the Regional Council of Brittany with fifteen million which will be available "immediately", Loïg Chesnais-Girard said on Monday .

The envelope should in particular allow the shipping company to defer certain rents for boats belonging to the region.

"We must do everything to save our flag", assured the president of the Brittany region, refusing that the Channel links be provided in the future by ferries flying the flag in exotic countries.

"It is an issue of sovereignty to keep a national flag," he said.

In return for this financial assistance, the Brittany region is also awaiting commitments from Brittany Ferries, and in particular the maintenance of its activities in Roscoff and Saint-Malo.

"This does not mean that there will not be cuts in lines and jobs, but we will be very attentive to what is happening on these two sites", underlined Loïg Chesnais-Girard, without being too worried. 'illusions.

"If there are no clients, it's hard to ask to keep everyone".

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