PARIS--Fleur Pellerin, the French minister-delegate for the
digital economy, said it would be "logical" for Altice SA (ATC.AE)
Executive Chairman Patrick Drahi to relocate to France if the group
takes over cellphone operator SFR, according to an interview with
French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche published Sunday.
Vivendi SA (VIV.FR) said Friday it had entered into exclusive
talks with Altice, the parent of French cable operator Numericable
Group SA, to sell the bulk of its cellphone arm SFR, taking the
safer route to its long-sought exit from a French
telecommunications market beset by a tough price war.
Altice has been bidding against French conglomerate Bouygues SA
(EN.FR), which had won backers in the government, including
Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg.
"I am not a tax inspector. But if Patrick Drahi becomes the
second largest telecom operator in France, it would be logical for
him to relocate his fiscal residence to France and for him to
handle his business from Paris. It's a sensitive sector. Buying SFR
will give him responsibilities, which he is well aware of," Ms.
Pellerin said in the interview.
Mr. Drahi, Altice's controlling shareholder, is currently a
Swiss resident with French and Israeli nationalities. Altice is
based in Luxembourg and listed in Amsterdam.
Newspaper website: www.lejdd.fr
Write to Paris bureau at djnews.paris@dowjones.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires