France not protectionist

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has presented arguments to the European Commission in favour of a Europe-wide rescue plan for the automotive industry. His spokesperson Luc Chatel explains in Le Monde that France is not acting out of protectionist motives: "The origin of the collapse of the automotive sector is well-known: the financial crisis and its mutation into an economic crisis. ... In this respect we have decided in favour of loans to car manufacturers based in France. This is the least protectionist measure one can possibly imagine. ... We must bear in mind that French producers have extended their production to many EU member states. ... Accordingly, these countries will profit indirectly from the loans. ... Moreover, our automotive rescue plan is far from being limited to national producers. It is aimed at all manufacturers based in France, regardless of their nationality."

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