'Serenity' needed in Nissan alliance talks, says Renault's Senard

Renault SA, Nissan Motor, and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation should take time and discuss the future of their alliance with “serenity”, according to Jean-Dominique Senard, chairman of the French car company in the three-way tie-up. “Every company in the world must reflect on its future and the best way to strengthen itself, and in the case of an alliance — on how to optimise the same,” Senard said in an interview to France Inter radio.

Talk about fusion or shareholding changes between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi was “reopened a bit dramatically and wasn’t necessary,” Senard said. “It’s been spoken about a lot recently and made people frightened. We all have our sensitivities.”

The alliance was thrust into the spotlight in November with the arrest of Carlos Ghosn, the chairman and architect of the global car-making alliance between the three companies. The arrest also triggered speculation that Renault was seeking to merge with Nissan, a move the Japanese company resisted.

France Pushes for Stronger Ties Between Renault, Nissan Ghosn has been indicted in Japan on allegations of crimes ranging from falsification of financial documents to diverting company funds into personal accounts, charges that he has denied.