Overview
- The Ministry of the Economy accepted Michelin’s payment as a donation in a December 19 order published in the Journal Officiel on December 26, confirming receipt on December 11.
- The amount corresponds to 2017 CICE support for the La Roche-sur-Yon site to renovate workshops and buy eight assembly machines, six of which were later transferred to plants in Spain, Italy and Poland before the factory closed in 2020 with about 600 job losses.
- Michelin characterizes the operation as a voluntary reimbursement, noting the CICE carried no legal obligation to repay or earmark funds and stating it worked with State services on how to proceed.
- Political and media scrutiny intensified through a Senate inquiry and a Complément d’enquête report, and CEO Florent Menegaux had said it would not be abnormal to reimburse.
- The €4.3 million represents roughly 0.016% of Michelin’s 2024 revenue, making the move largely symbolic while providing a formal end to the controversy.