French buyout activity in the second quarter reached levels not seen in almost four years, and accounted for a bigger share of overall takeovers and mergers in the country than at any time since 2008, but economic worries have cast a pall over the market more recently.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy last week called an unscheduled meeting in Paris with government ministers and Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer to discuss the financial and economic situation amid concerns over whether the country could hold on to its triple-A credit rating, according to The Wall Street Journal.