Netherlands, France committed to make Air France-KLM best airline in the world
It seems that the Netherlands and France are on good terms again, after the Dutch state unexpectedly bought a large interest in Air France-KLM this week. During a joint press conference, Dutch Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Finance and French Minister Bruno Le Maire of Economic Affairs stressed their common interest in making Air France-KLM "the best aviation company in the world", NOS reports.
On Tuesday evening Hoekstra announced that the Dutch State bought up Air France-KLM shares over the past week. The Netherlands now owns 14 percent of the shares, the same amount as the French State does. France was upset that the Netherlands had not consulted with the French government beforehand. French president Emmanuel Macron demanded an explanation.
Hoekstra acknowledged in the press conference that it was an unorthodox move, but according to him, it was meant to show extra commitment to the joint venture and the French state. "It is crucial that this great company performs better. In addition, justice must be done to the interests of both states. It is my firm belief that this can go hand in hand", the Dutch Minister said.
In the coming months the two countries will have intensive consultations about how these types of incidents can be prevented in the future. Both Ministers also said that they will work on a new vision for the future, along with Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith.
