Berlin offered stake in EADS by Daimler

Daimler offered in February 2011 to sell half of its stake in EADS to the German government in a potential wide-ranging reshuffle of the country’s interest in the Franco-German aerospace and defence group.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, was due to hold a meeting with cabinet members later in February 2011 to discuss a proposal to buy a 15% stake – worth €2.7bn at current market prices – half from Daimler and half from a banking group, two people close to the situation said.

This would allow a part-exit for Daimler while maintaining the sensitive French and German balance of power in the European producer of the A380, the largest passenger airliner.

Spiegel Online International, 21.2.11: German Government Seeks to Preserve Influence at EADS http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,746762,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 8.2.11: Berlin mulls EADS future post-Daimler http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14824104,00.html

ESO: Background information: Berlin extends EADS pact http://www.europeansources.info/record/berlin-extends-eads-pact/

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