The conflict at the Femern construction site has escalated so much that the French ambassador, Christophe Parisot, has intervened in the matter. The ambassador requested a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Thomas Danielsen, in late summer 2025 regarding the Femern Belt project. According to the request, the agenda was the problems the French contractor Vinci Construction is experiencing in collaboration with Sund & Bælt.
This is shown in correspondence between the French embassy and the Ministry of Transport, which FemernBusiness has obtained access to.
Law professor is puzzled
The meeting, however, never takes place. Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V) rejects the ambassador's request and simultaneously denies that the problems at the construction site are due to poor cooperation with Sund & Bælt. In his response, he directly points to the contractor and highlights that the submersion of the tunnel elements has not yet begun, and that the construction is already significantly delayed.
Frederik Waage, a law professor at the University of Southern Denmark, is surprised by the rejection.
- There are state interests at stake, and I do not understand rejecting the extended hand from the French ambassador, says Frederik Waage.
He adds: - I do not have full insight into the matter, but the rejection does not immediately seem very diplomatic, and the tone seems dismissive.
The rejection comes in the midst of a process where the Femern construction has already become a dispute over responsibility and many billions. The main contractor, Femern Link Contractors, with Vinci Construction at the helm, has assessed its claim against the Danish state at DKK 14.5 billion. A central point of contention is the quality of the tunnel trench in the Femern Belt. Additionally, there is an ongoing international arbitration regarding delays due to corona.
Would like to discuss Vinci's performance
The request came on 21 August 2025, when Ambassador Christophe Parisot's office requested a meeting with the Minister of Transport about the Femern Belt project. The request pointed out problems for the French contractor Vinci Construction in cooperation with Sund & Bælt, and that the problems were already affecting the work.
On 25 September, Thomas Danielsen responds in a letter to Ambassador Christophe Parisot. In the letter, Thomas Danielsen acknowledges the request for a meeting but makes it clear that he does not wish to meet the ambassador and instead refers to his permanent secretary.
“When Vinci Construction has documented that the company can handle the submersion of the first tunnel elements, I will gladly invite you to a meeting to discuss the Femern Belt tunnel and Vinci's performance.”
Cannot be about arm's length
Frederik Waage cannot understand why Thomas Danielsen (V) refuses to meet with the ambassador. And especially not the reasoning.
Who is who?
- The Ministry of Transport owns Sund & Bælt Holding A/S. Sund & Bælt Holding A/S owns Femern A/S, which is the client for the Femern Belt link. Femern A/S has contracted with the main contractor Femern Link Contractors (FLC). FLC is an international consortium including VINCI Construction, Per Aarsleff, Wayss & Freytag, Max Bögl, CFE, Solétanche-Bachy, and BAM companies.
- It seems quite chaotic at first glance, and I think the minister should explain why he does not want to meet with the French ambassador. It cannot be about arm's length, because he simultaneously says that he would like to meet when the French contractor has delivered on the construction.
The approach from the French ambassador occurs almost three months before the conflict between the Ministry of Transport's permanent secretary Jacob Heinsen and Vinci director Sébastien Bliaut develops into a direct written exchange. After a friendly approach from Bliaut via LinkedIn, the permanent secretary directly addresses the contractor's ability to deliver and writes, among other things, that the delays have raised concerns about “whether the consortium is capable of completing the project”.
Administrative crisis
Sébastien Bliaut responds and does not hold back:
“It is clear from your response to me that the matter is not well-informed to you,” and follows up with a reprimand of the permanent secretary's role: “As a civil servant and chief adviser to the minister, you also know that there is a political responsibility as to whether the matter is correctly informed.”
“It is about a management crisis,” writes Bliaut, and he points to the authorities' “uncritical trust” in Sund & Bælt as “the biggest risk for the project”.
The top management at Femern Link Contractors retracts the day after Bliaut's statements.
On 21 January, it was announced that the first immersion of tunnel elements is now expected to take place in spring 2026. At the same time, it is clear that the dispute over the finances is not closed, and that the parties are still negotiating the claims resulting from the delays.
It has not been possible to get further comments from the French embassy or the Minister of Transport.
