4 ms·

That's rich coming from French. Long time ago France Telecom bought Polish top phone network. Immediately rebranded it to Orange (despite the fact that the comp

That's rich coming from French. Long time ago France Telecom bought Polish top phone network. Immediately rebranded it to Orange (despite the fact that the company had one of the strongest brands on market where it operated). Unsurprisingly the licensing fees for using Orange brand that the Polish company had to pay to France Telecom amounted to large percentage of taxable profits that the Polish company had. Overt theft from Polish company and Polish taxpayers.

mort96 2y ago
Nation state acts in its own interest, news at 11 No but seriously, this doesn't sound surprising? Why should France be against a French company buying up other companies and bringing revenue back to France
- scotty79 2y ago
  Do you want euroscepticism? Because that's how you get euroscepticism.
  - mort96 2y ago
    I don't understand the problem honestly. I'd understand it if Poland stepped in and didn't let the company be bought out, but this just seems like bog standard normal globalized free market stuff? It would be extremely weird for France to step in and prevent a French company from buying a Polish company due to fears of stoking Euroscepticism among the polish population wouldn't it? And I don't even know what this has to do with the EU, companies have been buying up companies from other countries both in and out of the EU forever?
    - scotty79 2y ago
      I also don't expect nothing other from thief then continuing to steal. I also expect thieves to be protective of their own assets. I'm just saying they are still thieves and any outrage in their name is misplaced. Screw the French when they are robbed for the benefit of other countries, because they steal from other countries using their public companies as well.
      - mort96 2y ago
        If you are criticising markets in general and capitalism's tendency of bigger companies buying up smaller companies then I understand and agree with you. If you are criticising France in particular then I don't understand what you think the problem is.
        scotty79 2y ago
        I think I take special offence to government owned company doing that.
lifestyleguru 2y ago
Ohhh the memory of their atrocious and extortive services still raises my adrenaline. The French bought the position of monopolist in the telecom market. That's (and similar privatization frauds) how the only true Russian-style oligarch in Poland was created - Jan Kulczyk. Thanks, French!
greyw 2y ago
Is that related to the privatization wave after 1989? If so, the culprit here is the corrupt political caste that sold companies below their true value for kickbacks. Corruption has been an endemic problem in the east.
- dr_kretyn 2y ago
  It isn't. That happened some time around 2000. Unless your theory is that ~11 years isn't enough to change generations in which case there's more than that, right? Then give other examples.
  - greyw 2y ago
    Governments can block acquisitions and mergers for various reasons. Why this didnt happen in this case I dont know. Maybe they didnt understand the impact maybe regulators got paid off.
    - lifestyleguru 2y ago
      > Unless your theory is that ~11 years isn't enough to change generations in which case there's more than that For the people holding power one decade is an eyeblink, the only generation change will be when they'll install their own children as a replacement. > Maybe they didnt understand the impact maybe regulators got paid off. They got paid off and by Western standards it was a bargain.

mort96 2y ago

Nation state acts in its own interest, news at 11 No but seriously, this doesn't sound surprising? Why should France be against a French company buying up other companies and bringing revenue back to France

scotty79 2y ago
Do you want euroscepticism? Because that's how you get euroscepticism.
- mort96 2y ago
  I don't understand the problem honestly. I'd understand it if Poland stepped in and didn't let the company be bought out, but this just seems like bog standard normal globalized free market stuff? It would be extremely weird for France to step in and prevent a French company from buying a Polish company due to fears of stoking Euroscepticism among the polish population wouldn't it? And I don't even know what this has to do with the EU, companies have been buying up companies from other countries both in and out of the EU forever?
  - scotty79 2y ago
    I also don't expect nothing other from thief then continuing to steal. I also expect thieves to be protective of their own assets. I'm just saying they are still thieves and any outrage in their name is misplaced. Screw the French when they are robbed for the benefit of other countries, because they steal from other countries using their public companies as well.
    - mort96 2y ago
      If you are criticising markets in general and capitalism's tendency of bigger companies buying up smaller companies then I understand and agree with you. If you are criticising France in particular then I don't understand what you think the problem is.
      - scotty79 2y ago
        I think I take special offence to government owned company doing that.

lifestyleguru 2y ago

Ohhh the memory of their atrocious and extortive services still raises my adrenaline. The French bought the position of monopolist in the telecom market. That's (and similar privatization frauds) how the only true Russian-style oligarch in Poland was created - Jan Kulczyk. Thanks, French!

greyw 2y ago

Is that related to the privatization wave after 1989? If so, the culprit here is the corrupt political caste that sold companies below their true value for kickbacks. Corruption has been an endemic problem in the east.

dr_kretyn 2y ago
It isn't. That happened some time around 2000. Unless your theory is that ~11 years isn't enough to change generations in which case there's more than that, right? Then give other examples.
- greyw 2y ago
  Governments can block acquisitions and mergers for various reasons. Why this didnt happen in this case I dont know. Maybe they didnt understand the impact maybe regulators got paid off.
  - lifestyleguru 2y ago
    > Unless your theory is that ~11 years isn't enough to change generations in which case there's more than that For the people holding power one decade is an eyeblink, the only generation change will be when they'll install their own children as a replacement. > Maybe they didnt understand the impact maybe regulators got paid off. They got paid off and by Western standards it was a bargain.