New life for Bruno Le Maire. After leaving Bercy, the ex-minister became a professor at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, last September. This Thursday, December 19, ASML announced his appointment inasmuch as advicether of board of directors of the group, from January 1. This appointment is part of the group’s efforts to strengthen the European semiconductor industry through the investment bias, the company said.
Bruno The Mairewho was Minister of the Economy under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron between May 2017 and September 2024, requested an opinion from the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) on “ its project to modify the corporate purpose » from his company 48 Jacob « In the purpose of providing consultancy services » from ASML.
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The HATVP delivered its opinion this Thursday by thethat hethe « considers that the project envisaged by Mr. The Maire is compatiblethe with thes public functions that he exercised, subject to respecting certain precautionary measures ». Bruno The Maire must therefore refrain from approaching members of the government or his cabinet in office at the same time as him as long as they occupy public functions, as well as services on theover which he had authority.
At ASML, Bruno The Maire can advisether in particular the Frenchman Christophe Fouquet, who arrived at the head of the group in April. The former tenant of Bercy has already worked with the semiconductor industry. In 2023, Bruno The Maire had notably announced colossal aidthe of the State of 2.9 billion euros for a newthe semiconductor factory of the Franco-Italian group STMicroethectronics with the American GlobalFoundries in France, in the framework of “ Chips Act », plan d’amptheheart of the European Union to strengthen thes European capabilities in the sector.
ASML mistakenly publishes its results, its stock loses 15% on the stock market
Standoff with Donald Trump expected
The inauguration comes a few weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States. However, the latter could accentuate protectionist measures, which could harm the activity of the European giant. LeAmerican measures to restrict the export of ASML to China, initiated by Donald Trump during his first term, had already been extended, with the agreement of the Dutch government, under the administration of Joe Biden.
And then December 3, Washington announced a third wave of restrictions, against 140 Chinese companies, for military security reasons, including major equipment suppliers and semiconductor manufacturers.
In the event that the Netherlands follows the United States, a scenario considered likely, ASML estimates that exports of its high-end DUV chip manufacturing machines would also be affected, but without impact on its results. In September, the Dutch government aligned itself with the United States by announcing tougher export restrictions outside the EU.
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For the year 2024, which is almost complete, ASML does not plan “ no direct impact » on its activities, said a press release Monday evening. “ For 2025, we expect the impact to be consistent with what was communicated at the time of our third quarter 2024 results » on October 15, the text said. At the time of this announcement, investor morale was weighed down by ASML’s new reservations which reached 2.6 billion euros, against a consensus counting on a figure between 4 and 6 billion euros.
(With Reuters)
