The French Ministry of Finance, Trade and Industry has given investment banks until Friday to submit tenders to advise the state in the upcoming privatisations of Electricité de France (EDF), and Gaz de France, the state-owned energy groups.

It has also issued a deadline for the beginning of next week for a separate tender relating to capital increases in 11 companies in which the state still has an equity interest. The tenders are the clearest sign yet that the newly-elected government intends to dramatically accelerate its privatisation programme in a campaign that could start as early as this autumn.