French far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella condemned Moscow on September 19, after Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the local assets of French retailer Auchan and Swiss food giant Nestlé under temporary administration, calling the seizure a hostile act against European interests.
Kremlin Seizes Control of Major European Assets
Russian authorities have escalated their moves against foreign businesses by placing the local operations of Switzerland’s Nestlé, France’s Auchan and FM Logistic, and Lemana Pro (formerly Leroy Merlin) under temporary administration. President Vladimir Putin signed the decree on September 17, transferring control of the Russian legal entities to a newly registered company called JSC L.E.V. Management
.
The newly empowered management entity was registered in 2024 with a modest capital of 15,000 rubles. Andriy Krayushkin took over as its chief executive officer on September 10, 2026. This transfer follows a mechanism that Moscow originally introduced in 2023 specifically targeting assets belonging to companies from countries it categorizes as unfriendly
due to their support for Ukraine and imposition of sanctions.
Dmitry Medvedev Proposes Total Expropriation
While temporary administration does not formally alter ownership rights, Russian officials are signaling that a more radical approach may follow. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, argued that temporary placement is insufficient. He advocated for full, compulsory expropriation into state ownership, drawing an explicit parallel to early Soviet policies.
Medvedev defended the policy by accusing Western nations of waging an open war
against Russia through their backing of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov echoed this framing, stating that the seizures serve as a direct response to hostile European actions, sanctions, and military assistance provided to Kyiv.
Corporate Defense and Political Fallout in France
Affected corporations are currently evaluating their legal options. Nestlé announced that it is assessing its options and seeking to protect its employees and business interests.
Meanwhile, Auchan, FM Logistic, and Lemana Pro reported that they received no official clarification from Russian authorities regarding the takeover.
The decision immediately triggered sharp political reactions in Europe. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, joined party president Jordan Bardella in issuing a joint condemnation on September 19. The French politicians denounced the move as a direct infringement on European corporate rights.
“against French and European interests and said it directly infringed on the rights of European companies operating in Russia. The statement comes as France heads toward a presidential election in April 2027, with the first round scheduled for April 18.”
Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, National Rally
Broader Security Concerns Ahead of the 2027 French Election
The asset seizures arrive as France looks toward a presidential election cycle, with the first round of voting slated for April 18, 2027. Le Pen and Bardella used their joint statement to emphasize that French sovereignty remains non-negotiable.
The two leaders connected the economic actions in Moscow to a broader deterioration of European security. They explicitly linked the corporate takeovers to recent hybrid threats, citing an attempted explosive-drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany that German authorities attributed to Russia. Furthermore, they urged Paris to heighten the protection of strategic infrastructure and critical defense facilities while expressing solidarity with neighboring European nations facing suspected sabotage operations.
Precedents and the Uncertain Future of Foreign Capital in Russia
The forced transfer of Nestlé and Auchan assets follows a pattern. In previous instances, the Russian operations of Danish brewer Carlsberg and French dairy producer Danone faced similar temporary takeovers before being transferred or sold to Russian owners.
While temporary administration leaves a technical door open for future negotiation, the historical trajectory of these interventions suggests that Western exit paths are narrowing. With senior figures in Moscow actively discussing the total expropriation model of the early Soviet era, remaining international corporations operating within the Russian market face an increasingly precarious future governed entirely by geopolitical friction.