The lunch, planned before the election was called, was originally intended to thank business leaders for sponsoring the Paris Olympics. Guests include Coca-Cola’s James Quincey, Alexandre Bompard of retail chain Carrefour, Alibaba’s Joe Tsai, ArcelorMittal’s Aditya and Lakshmi Mittal, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew, YouTube’s Neal Mohan, Eli Lilly’s David Ricks and LVMH’s Bernard Arnault.
A recent survey showed that French business confidence has fallen to the level seen during the corona pandemic. Since Macron was first elected in 2017, he has largely reassured investors and businesses with his measures, such as relaxing labor laws and raising the retirement age. In that time, France has risen to the top of the European rankings in terms of attracting foreign investment.