Here's my amateur translation...
Sir,
Your words, as extreme as they are insulting, pay witness to your complete ignorance of our country, France, and its solid assets, such as its world renowned power of attraction and its ties with the United States of America.
France is proud to host more than 20 000 foreign businesses, representing nearly 2 million jobs, a third of it's industrial exports, 20% of its private R&D and 25% of its industrial jobs. Every year, 700 foreign investors make a decision to localize job and value creating investments in France. And this strong attractivity is not waning, on the contrary, it is strengthening every year.
Amongst these foreign investments, the United States take the first place. 4200 subsidiaries of american businesses represent nearly 500 000 jobs. The presence of american businesses in France is not new: Haviland since 1842, IBM since 1914, Coca-Cola since 1933, General Electric since 1974, and so many others. These ties are renewed every year: in 2012, businesses like Massey-Fergueson, Mars Chocolat, or 3M chose to grow their presence in France.
What were the decisive factors in these decisions? Foreign businesses come to France for its quality infrastructure, its enviable living environment, one of the most competitive energy in Europe and an enviroment favoring research and innovation. But above all, in opposition to your ridiculous and disparaging remarks, the bulk of these businesses know and appreciate the quality and productivity of the french workforce, its engagement, its knowhow, its talents and the competence of french workers.
To strengthen this power of attraction, the french government has just taken 35 measures in the "National pact for growth, competitivity and work". Amongst them, a tax refund for competitivity and work lighten by 6% the salary load of businesses of between 1 and 2,5 SMIC. Social partners have also reached an agreement on job security, which illustrate the quality of the social dialogue in France and its importance to our government.
Might I remind you that Titan, the company you helm, is 20 times smaller than Michelin, our French technology leader with global reach, and 35 times less profitable? This demonstrate how much Titan could stand to learn and gain from implanting in France.
France is even prouder and happy to host american investments that our two countries are linked by an old and passionate friendship. Are you at least aware of what La Fayette did for the United States of America? And as for us, we will never forget the sacrifices young american soldiers made on the beaches of Normandy to free us from nazism in 1944. And since you chose to criticise your own country in the email you sent me, I must tell you how much the french government admires the policies put in place by President Obama. As our minister of industry, I am particularly impressed by his action favoring relocating industrial jobs in the United States and its radical innovation. There is a certain link between our current policy and the one inspired by your President.
You evoque your intention to use certain countries' workforce to flood our markets. I have a duty to inform you that this condamnable short-term thinking will one day face a justified reaction from States. Such is already the case for France and it's growing amount of allies within the European Union who are campaining for reciprocity of trading and are working against dumping. In the meantime, be assured that I will make certain that our competent governmental services will work twice as hard to inspect your imported tires. They will be especially mindful of the respect of the applicable standards in matters social, environmental and technical.
Please accept, sir, my greetings. ((That greeting is essentially untranslatable)).
Arnaud MONTEBOURG