premise: Mr. Fournier also noted that Navigation Mixte joined Paribas's core of shareholders when Paribas was denationalized in 1987, and said it now holds just under 5% of Paribas's shares. Once he realized that Paribas's intentions weren't friendly, he said, but before the bid was launched, he sought approval to boost his Paribas stake above 10%. The petition is still pending, but Mr. Fournier downplayed the likelihood of his organizing a takeover bid of his own for the much-larger Paribas.
  One big question now is the likely role of Mr. Fournier's allies. Mr. Fournier said the large institutions that hold nearly 50% of Navigation Mixte's capital all strongly support him, but some analysts said they aren't so sure. Allianz, for example, has said in official comments so far that it will remain neutral. Paribas is Allianz's lead French bank.
   What is the purpose of Mr. Fournier's petition?
hypothesis: boost his Paribas stake above 10%