Nein

2 June 2005 By Marianne Brun-Rovet

The French government, one of the defence group’s major shareholders, wants to reassert itself after a crushing Europe referendum defeat. But a failed attempt by Forgeard, EADS s future joint head, to wrest more control over management underscores the French camp’s weakness.

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The appointment of EADS's top executive team has once again been delayed by a lastditch attempt by the French shareholders of the FrancoGerman aerospace group to reassert control over its board, according to sources close to the situation.

The announcement of senior management positions, including the confirmation of Noel Forgeard and Thomas Enders as joint chief executives of the group and the expected promotion of Gustav Humbert as chief of Airbus, was due on Wednesday after months of wrangling about the group's organisation.

But it may be put back a further week after Forgeard, backed by the French government and media group Lagardere, who together own 30% of EADS, made further efforts to bolster his position within EADS following the French government's defeat in the European referendum.

Senior appointments have already been delayed for months, first by Forgeard's attempts to become sole head of EADS and then by his push for a greater centralisation of the management structure. These attempts have been blocked by carmaker DaimlerChrysler, which holds a 30% stake in the group.

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