Rossignol/Quiksilver Freedom skis

French ski-maker Rossignol has recommended a takeover offer – from a US surfing and snowboard firm Quiksilver. France is usually more protective of its national champions. But then Rossignol’s takeover is the latest exception to prove the French exception. Last year, the government muscled into the pharmaceutical sector to push for the Sanofi-Aventis merger. This year, when US video games maker Electronic Arts took a stake in French firm Ubisoft, it led to talk that video games were a «strategic...