PARIS (Reuters) – Renault’s (RENA.PA) CEO Thierry Bollore denounced on Thursday as a “coup” his potential exit from the French carmaker, which has called a board meeting on Friday.

Thierry Bollore told Les Echos newspaper he was appealing to the key Renault shareholder, the French state, to avoid destabilising Renault.

“The brutality and the totally unexpected character of what is happening are stupefying,” Bollore said.