The Senate is set to debate on Wednesday, February 25, a bill to nationalize the French assets of ArcelorMittal, which was unexpectedly passed by the National Assembly in November 2025. Filed by La France insoumise, it garnered support from left-wing parties and abstention from the National Rally. Though unlikely to pass in a right-leaning Senate, it aims to pressure the government.
The bill, originally filed at the National Assembly by La France insoumise (LFI), was passed on November 27, 2025, with votes from left-wing parties including the Socialist Party, the French Communist Party, and The Ecologists, as well as abstentions from National Rally deputies. It seeks to nationalize the French operations of steel giant ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel producer, encompassing about 40 sites, including major ones in Dunkerque (Nord) and Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône). LFI estimates the cost at 3 billion euros.
In the Senate, where it was filed by the communist group, the bill encounters opposition from a right-wing majority and the government. “We have no illusions but we want to keep the pressure on the government before the text returns to the National Assembly,” stated Cécile Cukierman, senator from Loire and president of the communist group. Following Senate review on February 25, the bill will return to the deputies in June to continue its parliamentary process.
For the left and the CGT, this nationalization is the only way to save France's steel industry and restart decarbonization of blast furnaces. They accuse ArcelorMittal of planning to disengage from Europe and France to focus production in India, Brazil, and the United States.
