France Tightens Grip on Space: Inside the €1.35 Billion Eutelsat Power Play
In June 2025 the French government announced a €1.35 billion capital injection into Eutelsat, via the Agence des participations de l’État, with €717 million to be injected and Bpifrance’s 13.6% stake absorbed, lifting France’s holding to 29.99%. France becomes Eutelsat’s largest shareholder as a result of the stake transfer, solidifying the 29.99% holding. The move is designed to create a European satellite champion to counter Starlink and to secure sovereign access to space infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions. Eutelsat was founded in 1977, pioneered Europe’s direct-to-home TV in the 1990s, merged with OneWeb in July 2022, and the deal closed on