On November 27, French president Francois Hollande met Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of global steel giant
ArcelorMittal, following remarks made by
France's industry minister Arnaud Montebourg suggesting that the company was not welcome in the country anymore.
President Hollande reiterated that they want to ensure the continuing operation of the site, requesting that talks will continue until Saturday, December 1, the deadline before which the government is supposed to find a buyer for the blast furnaces at the Florange plant located in the Lorraine region, in northeastern
France.
The statement provided by President Hollande's office indicated that the president presented options to Mittal to save jobs at the Florange plant, including the nationalization of the plant.