French unions protest space summit, warn against Airbus-Thales-Leonardo merger

French unions, including CGT metallurgy and an intersyndicale of CNES, are organizing protests and a counter-summit ahead of a Paris space summit hosted by Macron. They oppose the proposed mega-merger of Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo, arguing it would 'financialize' the sector and undermine public interest. The protests signal domestic political opposition to a major European defense-industrial consolidation, though the merger's fate remains uncertain.