In an interview given to Parisianthe former boss of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance talks about the circumstances of his escape from Japan, his resentment towards the French government but also the manufacturer’s current results.
The circumstances of his escape, Renault’s current results but also his resentment towards the French government… In an interview with the Parisian , Carlos Ghosn, the former boss of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, talks about his arrest and his escape which captivated the whole world but also about the acerbic look he has on the current situation of the automotive group. He has been with his family in Beirut, Lebanon since his escape from Japan on December 29, 2019.
Read alsoHow Nissan staged Carlos Ghosn’s downfall
Asked first about the details of his escape, hidden in a trunk transported in the hold of a private plane, Carlos Ghosn recounts without filter: “I was curled up in the dark. But listening, I knew what phase of the plan I was in. (…) In the hold, I was not afraid of running out of oxygen, it was a bit cold, but compared to what I had experienced, that was not what was going to worry me . I was so outraged at the way I was being treated there was no room for fear“.
The ex-boss of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance does not hide his bitterness vis-à-vis the French government, which he accuses of “abandonment“. His resentment is particularly focused on Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy. “It was he who gave a clear instruction to two members of the board of directors of Renault: “We abandon Carlos Ghosn, we can no longer support him”. These two members were present in his office. They told me about it. Did Bruno Le Maire make the decision alone? Did he receive orders? I do not know. But he is at the center of it all. These are not accusations, these are facts, with witnesses. Tongues will loosen over time and we will know why France let me down“, he hammers.
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Visit of a former President of the Republic
The former boss of the CAC 40 also claims to have received a visit from a former President of the Republic, without specifying whether it was Nicolas Sarkozy or François Hollande. “Do you know what he told me? “If I had still been president, I would have sent the prime minister to Tokyo, which he would not have left without you boarding the plane with him.“”, reports the former boss.
An animosity towards the French authorities which does not prevent him from considering a return to France when this is possible: “For now, I can’t come back. There is an Interpol red notice (a request for arrest) preventing me from doing so, made at the request of Japan. I fight it with my lawyers. I am French, I was educated in France, I lived in France, I have a very deep connection. France is there, it remains, the governments, they pass. Of course, the day when I can, I will go to France.»
Asked about the amounts claimed by the tax authorities, Carlos Ghosn kicks partially into touch. “I don’t want to talk about numbers. But I repeat, not a penny was missed by the French State, all the declarations were made within the standards. The tax office, by the way, accepted my taxes without a word for years. When did she reopen the case? When I was in jail in Japan…The businessman says he hopes to be able to defend his case before the French courts.
“It pains me to see that Renault is only a shadow of itself»
While the Renault group announced in mid-January that its sales had continued to decline in 2021, with nearly 2.7 million vehicles sold worldwide (-4.5% compared to 2020), Carlos Ghosn defends being partially responsible for this loss of speed of the automobile group and does not hesitate to criticize it roundly: ” Bug ! I made the growth of Renault for thirteen years, the French State was present at Renault, I obtained exceptional results and today some have the indecency to say that the poor results of 2019, 2020 and 2021 , it’s my fault ?” According to him, “a world number 1 has become a small fragile manufacturer“, “Kept on a leash by the Ministry of the Economy” because of the PGE which was granted to him to deal with the Covid crisis.
“With a management which, three years later, attributes all its difficulties to a so-called race for volumes. They could have found attacks a bit finer. Frankly, I find that indecent.“, he lets go. This “race for volumes”, a strategy carried out by Carlos Ghosn, is indeed today criticized by Renault while the French automobile group is pursuing a new commercial policy, in search of profitable sales rather than quantity.
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As for the Alliance, deprived of “trust” between the three manufacturers, it makes “no sense” in his eyes. “Renault has no influence on Nissan’s board of directors, that’s obvious. Monsieur Senard (Jean-Dominique, president of the Alliance) tried to become the chairman of the board of Nissan, which I was, and they said no. And the will to work together, frankly! People inside the Alliance tell me that nothing is happening anymore.»