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France: Minister warns LSE merger could stifle competition

By  |  May 22, 2016

The French finance minister has raised fears that the London Stock Exchange’s merger with its German rival Deutsche Boerse could undermine competition.

As politicians across Europe grapple with the implications of the £21bn combination of market operators, Michel Sapin called on the European Commission to intervene and ensure that the enlarged firm does not have a “dominant position” in the market.

“I want to express the concern of the French government on this tie-up” Sapin said in a statement emailed to Reuters. “We have doubts about the consequences this could have for the financing of the real economy in France and Europe.

“The merger of these two entities will result in a large group which could hold within it a majority of the tools that make our markets function efficiently,” he added.

Full Content: Telegraph

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