France has called on the Russian Federation — the aggressor state — to reverse its decision to place the Russian subsidiaries of several French and European companies under temporary administration. In a joint statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy described the move as unjustified.
France’s position
French authorities said they remain in close contact with the companies affected by the decision and called on the Russian side to reconsider it. As reported by Anadolu Agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree placing several foreign companies under temporary administration on September 18.
Under the decree, the operations of these companies in Russia are to be managed by L.E.V. Management. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the decision concerns businesses from countries that Russia considers “unfriendly.”
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Which companies were affected
The measures apply to the French supermarket chain Auchan, the former Russian operations of the French home improvement retailer Leroy Merlin, now operating under the name Lemana Pro, as well as several Russian subsidiaries of the logistics group FM Logistic.
The Russian assets of Swiss food company Nestle and other foreign businesses were also placed under temporary administration. Nestle said it was reviewing the decision to assess its impact on the company’s operations and employees. Auchan did not immediately comment on the situation.
Russia introduced the mechanism of temporary administration for foreign companies in 2023. It had previously been applied, among others, to the French food group Danone and the Danish brewing company Carlsberg. Such a mechanism does not formally mean the final nationalization of assets.
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