Visiting the Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Herstal last Friday, the Walloon Minister of the Economy, Pierre-Yves Jeholet (MR), reiterated his refusal to sell this company, of which the Walloon Region is the sole shareholder.
“As mentioned in the Regional Policy Statement, I asked Wallonie Entreprendre to examine the Region’s participations in various companies, FN Herstal included. But I would like to remind you that the Defense sector is strategic, especially in the face of rising conflicts, including in Europe,” he declared in particular.
The minister underlined the importance of the FN, a true global flagship of armaments, for the Walloon industrial ecosystem and which generates strong added value thanks to its innovations, while supporting numerous local SMEs. He also recalled the objective of post-Covid reindustrialization, which involves preserving existing assets.
Ethias: an ongoing analysis
Asked about the potential sale of Ethias, another Liège economic pillar, Pierre-Yves Jeholet clarified that the thinking was different there, however, noting that the company was part of the services sector. “The challenge is to know whether keeping the decision center in Wallonia is strategic. We need a rational analysis, without dogmas,” he believes.
Concerning the interest shown by Belfius, he indicated that the procedure remained open, and that other candidates, particularly Flemish and French, could come forward.
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