The European Commission investigation

The offices of the European Commission declared in a note that “the operation could significantly harm competition in the shipbuilding sector, in particular with regards to the global cruise ship market”. And for the EU, the distortion would be "at European and global level".
An investigation that immediately appeared suspicious. And the reason is that it was France and Germany who requested it, exactly thatParis-Berlin axis which has long had the objective of damaging Italian interests. And with which Giuseppe Conte's government has started a very tough clash which has proven to be so even in recent days after Luigi Di Maio's words on the yellow vests.

According to information received from the European Commission, France has submitted to the European Antitrust a request for postponement of a rule according to which a Member State can ask the Commission to examine a concentration which "although it does not have a European dimension, affects trade within the single market and risks significantly affecting competition in the territories of the Member States making the request". Request which was followed by the German one, substantially identical, but which added political weight to the whole affair.
A sneaky move by Paris and Berlin, who have in fact "circumvented" the conflict with Italy by putting Europe in the middle. Almost as if he wanted to leave, at least in appearance, playing dirty to the Commission by showing that it is a European problem and not between Member States. Smart move, Surely, but not therefore perfect. It immediately became clear to anyone that behind it there was French discourtesy rather than respect for European standards. So much so Christophe Morel, CFDT trade unionist, he cheered saying: “With this survey of Europe, the procedure reopens and returns to the starting position after the agreement between France and Fincantieri", adding that in case of rejection, “counterproposals can be put on the table by both sides”.

Formal and informal agreements

This is the news and the first suspicions. But the problem comes from afar. And it concerns not only a Macron strategy (and in general French) to balance the market by preventing Italy from taking over the shipbuilding market. But which also hides strategic motivations, under-the-table agreements and international understandings. In short: the competition is just the least of the problems.
Also because, as explained by Libero, France and Germany “invited the EU to examine the operation in light of the antitrust regulation. Ma, and it's not a detail, Fincantieri's proposed acquisition of Chantiers de l'Atlantique does not reach the turnover thresholds set by the EU merger regulation. It is therefore an operation that did not necessarily have to be notified to the Commission due to their European dimension.".
François Hollande had reached an agreement with Italy to give the majority to Fincantieri. Ma Emmanuel Macron, as soon as he entered the Elysée, had disregarded the agreements. The Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire announces Paris' decision to exercise its right of first refusal on Stx, resulting nationalization of the construction sites. He then tried to recant, and in the end a pact was reached which to this day still provides for the Italian side to be at the 50% plus one 1% of the French state. But basic, the agreement provided for a market sharing pact: Fincantieri took Saint-Nazaire, Italy therefore assumed a dominant position in European shipbuilding, but France would have received in exchange the green light to a dominant position in the field of aeronautics.
As he remembers The Truth, “just think of the interests of Thales as opposed to those of Leonardo and to the fact that the latter was expressly excluded from the agreement between Naval group and Fincantieri (in the management of Stx). It's no coincidence that Bono (a.d. by Fincantieri ed.) in compliance with this vision he had set his sights on Vitrociset and Piaggio Aerospace. In the previous months Fincantieri had acquired Issel Nord, a small company from La Spezia specialized in the technology of command and control systems. A clear growth project in the aeronautical world, which would have allowed Fincantieri, leader in the military shipbuilding industry, to also offer joint models of integrated systems".

The clash between Rome and Paris

But things changed with the elections of the new government and the increase in tensions between Italy and France. Very harsh signals towards Paris have arrived from Rome, and vice versa. The government composed of League e Movement 5 position he immediately made it clear that he wanted to maintain the agreement on Saint-Nazaire. But in the meantime, Several clashes broke out between Palazzo Chigi and Eliseo. France and Italy are on opposite sides of the barricade. The government pushed immediately Leonardo to transform the company into the Italian strategic asset in the world to challenge the French defense industry. And the United States has approved the rise of the Italian company, as demonstrated by the contracts signed with the Pentagon.
In the meantime, the files of challenges between Paris and Rome have multiplied. In Libya, the Italian government has openly challenged France to gain control of the North African country's transition. The Italian strategy worked, but it greatly affected relations with the French, who have essentially lost almost all of their outposts in Libya. But above all it damaged the influence of the Transalpines in Nord Africa, with Italy which, through diplomacy and Eni, he tore up agreements with Egypt and Arab countries which first of all harmed French interests in the sector gas and of petrolium.

The military does not want to cede Saint-Nazaire

To political issues, internal ones are added, especially defense. France does not want to give Italy a port that is not just for cruise ships, but also military. For example, the Mistral class ships are built in the port of Saint-Nazaire.
In Paris, relations between the military and the Elysée are tense. Confirmation also came from the general's resignation Pierre De Villiers after a tough clash with the president who had just taken possession of the Elysée. And the idea that one of the strategic French ports has majority Italian ownership does not please the Ministry of Defense. And there are many, also in the French services, to row against the entry of foreign powers into the Atlantic construction site.
source – http://www.occhidellaguerra.it/francesi-italia-saint-nazaire-fincantieri/