Important economic issue, the potential merger of Véolia and Suez has become a political issue, explains Michaël Darmon on Tuesday on Europe 1. For our columnist, this operation will occupy a place in the campaign for the presidential election of 2022.

EDITORIAL

Veolia CEO Antoine Frérot said he would submit a revised offer to Engie "before September 30" for the takeover of Suez.

The Managing Director of Suez, Bertrand Camus, sees this takeover as an "unmanageable" situation, explaining Tuesday on Europe 1 that Veolia's commitments in terms of employment "could not be kept".

But if the operation takes place, its consequences will not only be economic: it will also have political repercussions, explains our editorialist Michael Darmon. 

"If the Véolia-Suez merger materializes, it could have serious repercussions on the political level, in particular for the image of Emmanuel Macron. This is what the president's relatives have been trying to explain to him for a few weeks. According to several heavyweights of the majority, present at the Tuesday dinner at the Elysee, social disruption will be inevitable. Because never, they say, a merger has been able to preserve jobs. One of his friends warned Emmanuel Macron without detour: 'You will find yourself in the middle of the presidential campaign with the image of the investment banker who authorized this merger,' he warned.  

"The Prime Minister sent the file back to Bercy"

In theory, the President of the Republic does not have the power to prevent this merger because it is an economic operation over which political power has no control.

But messages are passing.

Jean Castex presented this dossier a few weeks ago as the opportunity to create a world champion in water treatment.

Emmanuel Macron, he believes rather that we can consolidate two champions instead of having only one.

Today, faced with the problems that the potential merger raises, the Prime Minister no longer talks about this merger between Veolia and Suez, he has even referred the file to Bercy.

File which has become an issue for the presidential campaign of 2022. "