Disney, in the midst of a political battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, announced Thursday, May 18 that the group was abandoning to build in the state a campus of nearly $ 900 million near its amusement park.

The American entertainment giant, which has recently undertaken significant cost reductions, justifies its decision by a new business environment since the announcement of the project in 2021, including a new chief executive and "the evolution of the economic situation", according to a memo sent to employees and consulted by AFP. For these reasons, "we have decided not to proceed with the construction of the campus," wrote Josh D'Amaro, the manager of amusement parks.

The decision also comes amid strong political tensions with local authorities. They consider the company too progressive since its leaders publicly denounced, in 2022, a bill that restricted the teaching of topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida elementary schools.

See also Disney criticizes a Florida law deemed anti-LGBT +, the state sanctions the group

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rising star of the American hard-right who has embarked on an offensive against a supposed "woke" culture, ended in February the special status that Disney has enjoyed in his state since the 1960s.

'Targeted revenge'

The governor has also publicly discussed the construction of a prison near Disney World or new taxes on hotels at the site, which employs 75,000 people and attracts 50 million visitors a year. Disney responded by filing a complaint, saying it was a "targeted revenge" against him to punish him for exercising his "freedom of expression".

A figure of the populist right in the United States, Ron DeSantis is widely seen as Donald Trump's most serious competitor for the Republican primary before the next presidential election. According to US media, the governor of Florida could soon announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.

See also United States: Can Ron DeSantis dethrone Donald Trump at the head of the Republican Party?

And sign of the political scope of the dispute with Disney, Donald Trump vituperated Thursday Ron DeSantis in a statement, accusing him of having lost "alone" the investment of the group, because the governor would be "too weak to fight for his state". "Ron DeSantis' failed conflict with Disney didn't really help his ghost and wobbly campaign," the Republican billionaire added.

'Regrettable'

Criticism of the dispute had already begun to emerge on the right, with some Republicans castigating an anti-business fight that goes against their party's tradition.

On the Democratic side, the head of Orange County - which includes the town of Lake Nona where the campus was to be located - said Disney's decision was "regrettable". But "it's a predictable consequence when the work environment between the state of Florida and the business community is not inclusive and collaborative," Demings said.

Since the 1960s, Disney had enjoyed a special status with many advantages - administrative facilities, self-management of the site, advantageous loans, etc.

The group had announced in July 2021 its intention to ask more than 2,000 employees to move to Florida. This project was led by former CEO Bob Chapek, replaced in November 2022 by Bob Iger while Disney's results were weakened by the weak performance of the group's streaming platform, Disney+.

The cost of the campus, according to press reports, was estimated in 2021 at $864 million. The decision to abandon this project "was not easy to make, but I believe it is the right one," Josh D'Amaro notes in the memo Thursday.

With AFP

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