Macron: New Renault head should be Nissan chairman, too

French President Emmanuel Macron told Japan’s premier that it would be appropriate for Renault SA’s new chairman to also be chairman of Nissan Motor Co., according to Fuji News Network.

Macron floated the idea to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a phone call on Friday, the Japanese network reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The French leader also said he hoped for the quick release of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who has been in a Tokyo jail since Nov. 19, the report said.

France is the biggest shareholder in Renault, which named Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman and Thierry Bollore as chief executive officer on Thursday, hours after Ghosn resigned from those roles. Senard will be responsible for managing the French automaker’s three-way partnership with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.. The alliance sold more cars last year than either Volkswagen AG or Toyota Motor Corp.

Nissan and Mitsubishi ousted Ghosn as chairman shortly after his arrest on allegations of under-reporting his income. The charges have since expanded to include transferring personal trading losses to Nissan, and the 64-year-old could face decades in prison if convicted. He has denied wrongdoing.