|
|
Article: Takeover War Shakes European Establishment
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 16, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
A takeover battle for Belgium's largest company has riveted
Europe's attention for the past four weeks, not just because of the
players involved, though they are very powerful, but for what it
could mean on a continent that often seems more committed to the
principal of a common market than to the brutal reality of it.
It is not clear who will control Societe Generale de Belgique,
"the queen of Belgium," a 166-year-old holding company that accounts
for an estimated one-third of the Belgian economy and is eight years
older than the kingdom itself. What is clear, however, is that the
bid has changed the European business establishment forever, not
least by giving it a taste of the sort of ...