Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 10, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
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IG Metall demands Dassault's removal from a joint fighter jet project, citing strained Franco-German relations. The union's stance could impact upcoming ministerial talks.
By Sabine Siebold and Alexander Hübner
BERLIN, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Germany's powerful IG Metall union has raised the stakes in Franco-German fighter talks, threatening to stop cooperating if France's Dassault remains part of the program.
Such a decision is unlikely without a high level political decision but the union's intervention is the latest sign of deteriorating relations between German and French industries over the troubled project ahead of ministerial talks to try to break an impasse on Thursday.
"We are happy to collaborate with French businesses but not with Dassault", IG Metall's deputy chief Juergen Kerner said in a strongly worded letter addressed to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, dated December 8 and seen by Reuters.
"We stand by European cooperation and the Franco-German friendship. But Dassault is trampling over both for selfish reasons."
A spokesperson for the defence ministry in Berlin confirmed the receipt of letter from IG Metall but declined to elaborate on its content.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin, Alexander Huebner in Munich and Tim Hepher in London, Editing by Madeline Chambers)
A union is an organization formed by workers to protect their rights and interests, negotiate wages, and improve working conditions.
A fighter jet program refers to a military initiative focused on the development, production, and deployment of fighter aircraft designed for air combat.
European cooperation involves collaborative efforts among European countries to address common challenges, enhance economic ties, and promote stability and security in the region.
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