The crisis of the French IT giant Atos will soon be examined by the Senate: the creation of an information mission, which could turn into a commission of inquiry, was announced Tuesday by Senator Cédric Perrin (LR), with the hearing of the former general director scheduled for February 7.
This fact-finding mission will see its rapporteurs officially appointed on Wednesday and should begin closed-door hearings at the beginning of February, indicated on Public Snat Mr. Perrin, president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces, his initiative with the Economic Affairs Committee of the upper house.
Atos is an actor of French sovereignty, particularly in terms of nuclear deterrence, added the senator, highlighting the nuclear test simulation capabilities of Atos supercomputers, as well as the company’s cyber skills. In August 2023, he had already co-signed with 82 other Les Républicains senators a forum calling for keeping the company within the French fold.
A fact-finding mission before a commission of inquiry?
After the split of the company into two branches, announced in 2022, the plan to sell the historic outsourcing activities to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky had caused concern. And, despite negotiations still in progress, Atos indicated at the beginning of January that it had no certainty that they will reach an agreement concerns have not subsided.
Former general director Yves Bernaert, replaced at the beginning of January by Paul Saleh, will be heard on February 7 at 9:30 a.m. If Atos has not made any comments on this subject, a source close to the group affirmed that this hearing, already planned for the end of 2023, had been rescheduled due to the context in which the company finds itself.
This mission should also interview many people who have, at one time or another, been in the destiny of Atos, indicated Cdric Perrin. The choice of people heard will be made by the mission rapporteurs. We do not exclude transforming this fact-finding mission into a commission of inquiry, in order to be able to follow through on the requests (…) that we are making, continued the senator, who wishes to understand what happened. pass at Atos.