Ten years after the Brexit vote, many French business conversations about London still begin with the same assumptions:

But international companies do not seem to see it that way.

They continue to choose London for access to capital, talent, decision-makers and global markets. The city remains one of Europe’s strongest technology and investment ecosystems.

That does not mean Brexit had no consequences.

It made hiring, regulation and cross-border operations more complex. But complexity did not remove London’s advantages. It simply made entering the UK market more demanding.

And this is perhaps where the French view needs to change.

London is not waiting to become part of Europe again before moving forward. It is competing for companies, investors and talent on a global level.

French companies should therefore stop looking at the UK only through the political question of Brexit.

The better business question is:

What role could London play in our international growth?

For some companies, the UK will be a difficult market and the wrong priority.

For others, London can provide access to customers, capital, partnerships and international credibility that would be harder to build elsewhere.

But only when companies approach it as the market it is today, rather than the market they remember from before 2016.

The Channel is wider politically.

Commercially, the opportunity is still very real.

If you speak French, this video is worth watching: watch on YouTube.