The Prime Minister saw a direct effect of the measures taken by the government to "encourage companies based in the United Kingdom to come and locate their production in France".
Prime Minister Philippe Philippe judged "good" on Thursday the figures of foreign investment in France last year, insisting notably on the "considerable" rise (+ 33%) of those coming from the United Kingdom, in the approach of Brexit .
According to these figures released on Wednesday, 1,323 investment decisions from abroad were made in 2018, a figure slightly higher than in 2017, even though the number of jobs created or maintained (30,300) fell by 10% over a year. "These are good numbers, and we can rejoice," said the Prime Minister on the sidelines of a visit to "state start-ups" installed in the arche of La Défense, near Paris.
"Excellent news for France"
"The amounts invested by foreign companies in France have increased considerably: nearly 25% of these investments concern industry and industrial jobs and 10% of research and development activities, and we have seen a considerable increase in British investment. in France, "he argued.
"This means that the measures that the government has taken (...) produce their effects" to "encourage companies based in the United Kingdom to come and locate their production in France to take into account the uncertainties related to Brexit", judged the former mayor of Le Havre, hailing "excellent news for France and the French economy". In the perspective of Brexit, Paris launched in July 2017 a battery of measures to relocate UK activities in France, including trying to attract the financial companies of the City.