The French exception

For most countries, a globally successful corporation is a matter of pride. Not, it seems, in France. Vivendi Universal, the media corporation forged by J6M (Jean-Marie Messier, moi-même maître du monde), is under government attack.

The highest administrative court has been asked by the French government to rule on whether the group’s number of non-European (read: US) shareholders could put it in breach of legislation. Vivendi owns 49% of Canal Plus, a French television chain which is also a major producer of French films. French legislation is designed to “protect” its creative industries.

As Messier has pointed out, his company is probably doing as much as anyone for French creativity. But he didn’t help his case when he moved his personal residence to New York and declared, “The Franco-French cultural exception is dead.”