Overview

• Safran CEO Olivier Andriès announced the company will no longer invest in cities governed by ecological majorities, citing experiences during the Rennes turbine blade foundry project.
• The decision stems from protests by local ecological officials in Rennes, which included public criticism and symbolic acts like throwing tomatoes at the company’s representatives.
• The Rennes project, expected to create 500 jobs by 2029, complies with environmental regulations and was developed in collaboration with the socialist mayor Nathalie Appéré.
• Andriès emphasized that the policy is not politically motivated but aims to safeguard national industrial and economic interests amid local resistance.
• Critics of the Rennes project raised concerns about pollution and military implications, while Safran highlighted its adherence to environmental laws and its economic benefits.