ArcelorMittal: Hamon and Martin advocate the restart of the blast furnaces

"The steel market has regained the vitality which justifies implementing the agreement between the State and ArcelorMittal," said Mr. Hamon during a press conference with the former trade unionist CFDT near of the two blast furnaces shut down since 2013.

The announcement of the shutdown by the steel group, which had weighed on the first months of the Holland five-year term, led to the development in 2012 of an agreement providing for the maintenance of jobs, the continuation of investments on the site and a decision on a possible restart of the blast furnaces after an observation period of six years.

ArcelorMittal, which has respected the first two commitments, announced in December 2018 the final stop of liquid steel production on the Moselle site for reasons of competitiveness.

"We ask the State: + You have signed, this signature commits you, tell us whether or not you intend to enforce it +", urged Mr. Martin, promising to initiate legal proceedings "if the State validates Mittal's decision ".

The two men recalled that the revival of the installations would make it possible to produce two million tonnes of "clean steel" and create a thousand direct jobs.

"Europe has a production deficit compared to market needs and imports 27 million tonnes of steel," said the MEP.

"Today, we import steel + disgusting +, in climatic and ecological conditions + disgusting +, from Brazil and China," insisted Mr. Hamon. He recalled that, in his forum on Europe broadcast on Monday, Emmanuel Macron had "proposed that we have protections for the European economy at the borders of Europe".

"Ford, Ascoval, the Fonderies du Poitou, the cycle of plant closures is starting to resume. We have the possibility here that the industry will again rhyme with job creation," he added.

Monday, the leader of Generations had pleaded for the "temporary nationalization" of the Ford plant in Blanquefort (Gironde), about to close, where he had gone.