Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron in Athens, April 25, 2026. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP
"Greece is a tremendous economic and political success. (...) But French investments are still not at the level they should be," said French President Emmanuel Macron to nearly 200 Greek and French business leaders on Saturday, April 25, in Athens, on the second day of his trip to the country, where he once again advocated for new joint borrowing by European Union (EU) member states to fund future-oriented investments.
During the financial crisis that hit Greece between 2010 and 2018, several French companies – including banks, Carrefour, Fnac, and insurance groups – put a stop to their activities in the country. Today, around 200 French companies employing 17,000 people operate in Greece, and French investments, valued at €2 billion in 2025, have surged by more than 50% over the past five years, according to the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. These investments have accompanied Greece's steady growth of over 2% annually for the past three years, as unemployment has dropped by 15 points since the crisis, and Greek national debt continues to decrease.
During his visit to Athens, Roland Lescure, France's minister of the economy, inaugurated the technical support center of the pan-European stock exchange operator Euronext, together with its CEO, Stéphane Boujnah. The investment follows Euronext's acquisition of the Athens Stock Exchange in November 2025. The center is expected to create around 10 jobs. "It is already ramping up hiring in high-value-added sectors, especially in software engineering, data and analytics, cybersecurity, and market operations," said Boujnah, specifying that the center should be operational by the end of 2026.
