Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 21, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleEngie CEO Catherine MacGregor acknowledged attending a March dinner with Marine Le Pen to highlight risks of the National Rally’s energy proposals, warning they threaten France’s energy security, electricity costs and decarbonization efforts. Businesses are increasingly engaging with the party amid
By Forrest Crellin
PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - Engie Chief Executive Catherine MacGregor warned on Tuesday against energy policy measures being touted by France's far-right National Rally, as she defended her presence at a dinner with party leader Marine Le Pen earlier this month.
For years, French blue-chip companies studiously avoided engaging with the RN but, with polls indicating it could win the 2027 presidential election, they are now trying to influence the anti-immigration, eurosceptic party's economic agenda.
Reuters previously reported on the April 7 dinner, which also included the chief executives or chairs of oil major TotalEnergies TTEF.PA, car maker Renault RENA.PA, and luxury conglomerate LVMH
"Yes I was at the dinner. Yes I knew Marine Le Pen would be present ... Engie has a responsibility to educate our political decision-makers on issues that are very complicated, and to explain the consequences of this or that measure, though so far with little success," MacGregor said at a press breakfast.
The Engie CEO cited RN positions from a desire to pull out of the European electricity market and change the way prices are formed, to no longer having an energy regulator independent of the government, and halting the development of renewables.
"We cannot let these ideas, which are bad for France, for France's energy security, for electricity prices and for decarbonization, crystallize and take form," she added.
Had she been heading a company not in the energy sector, MacGregor said, she might not have been willing to attend the dinner with the far-right leader.
Engie has recently pivoted to investing in Britain, where MacGregor says the government is politically stable, committed to decarbonisation, and has an independent regulator.
(Reporting by Forrest Crellin and America Hernandez in Paris, Editing by Ingrid Melanger and Clarence Fernandez)
Catherine MacGregor attended the dinner to influence the National Rally’s stance on energy policy and warn against ideas she believes are harmful for France.
She stated that the party's energy policies are bad for France, its energy security, electricity prices, and decarbonization efforts.
French blue-chip companies have generally avoided engaging with her party but are now seeking to understand and influence its economic agenda.
Yes, she confirmed attending the dinner and said she was aware that Marine Le Pen would be present.
She indicated that if she led a company outside the energy sector, she might not have attended.
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