French National Assembly Passes Law to Nationalize ArcelorMittal Amid Industrial Turmoil

On November 27, 2025, the French National Assembly adopted a law to nationalize ArcelorMittal's French operations, passing the bill with 127 votes in favor to 41 against. The legislative proposal was put forward by La France Insoumise (LFI) and supported by left-wing groups, while the National Rally abstained. This move comes amid significant social and economic challenges faced by the steel giant's French operations, including ongoing protests by around 200 ArcelorMittal employees who rallied in Paris to back the nationalization.

The government, however, opposed the measure. Economy Minister Roland Lescure emphasized that issues related to the steel industry should be addressed at the European level rather than through nationalization. Opposition also centers on concerns about the estimated cost of the nationalization, roughly three billion euros, and doubts regarding whether it will improve the company's competitiveness given international pressures, particularly from Chinese competition.

Union leaders, especially from the Confédération générale du travail (CGT), criticized the Mittal family's control over two-thirds of the French steel production and highlighted the risk of ongoing production relocations abroad. They argued nationalization is the only viable path to safeguard the 15,000 direct jobs and manage the urgent decarbonization efforts needed to maintain profitability by 2030. The recent announcement of a social plan has further escalated tensions.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of LFI, lauded the Assembly’s vote as a historic moment. He took to social media to celebrate what he called a victory for the workers. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal CEO Alain Le Grix de la Salle defended the company’s commitment to France, denouncing widespread misinformation and asserting the company was not disengaging despite the crisis.

The future of the nationalization law remains uncertain as it now moves to the Senate, where the right and center political groups hold a majority. This could complicate or delay its passage, leaving pending the fate of the significant industrial and political initiative.