Macron lands a record €93bn at Choose France, half of it a SoftBank AI bet
71 foreign-investment projects and a Dunkerque data-centre mega-deal as France defends its FDI lead
Summary
At the 9th Choose France summit at Versailles on 1 June 2026, Emmanuel Macron announced 71 projects worth a record €93bn (~$108bn) and 15,600+ jobs — more than the previous eight editions combined and over double 2025's ~€40.8bn. The headline deal is Softbank's €45bn (potentially €75bn) plan for AI data-centre capacity in Hauts-de-France, Masayoshi Son's first major European commitment, which Macron pitched in person in Japan. Amazon added €15bn+ over three years and Marcegaglia €600m for a Fos-sur-Mer steel plant. Days earlier Macron announced €1.55bn more in public investment in quantum tech and semiconductors. France claims a seventh straight year as Europe's top FDI destination — a domestic win feeding his Macron's confidence rating rebounds to 26%, a one-year high.
By the numbers
- €93bn / 71 projects / 15,600+ jobs — the headline haul.
- €45bn (up to €75bn) — SoftBank AI data-centre commitment.
- €15bn+ — Amazon over three years.
- €1.55bn — additional public quantum and chip investment.
Why it matters
The figures hand Macron a counter-narrative to political weakness at home: France as Europe's AI and FDI magnet, with nuclear power as its decisive edge over grid-constrained rivals. The gap between €93bn announced and ~€45bn firm is the catch — pledges are not yet plant.
What to watch
- Whether the SoftBank Dunkerque capacity is actually built and powered.
- Conversion rate of pledges into ground-breaking projects.
- Grid and nuclear-supply constraints as data-centre demand scales.