Guest of Europe Evening Tuesday, the former CEO of EDF and Veolia, Henri Proglio, believes that France will have difficulty reviving its economy after the coronavirus crisis.

According to him: the strong deindustrialisation that the country has experienced over the past twenty years and the “more or less planned nuclear abandonment”. 

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Will the French economy succeed in recovering from the coronavirus health crisis?

While the option of a re-containment is more than ever on the government's table, according to information from Europe 1, the former CEO of EDF and Veolia, Henri Proglio, believes that "we will have more trouble than other countries to revive the economy ".

Guest of Europe Evening Tuesday on the occasion of the publication of his memoirs 

Les Joyaux de la Couronne 

published by Robert Laffont, the one who is one of the faces of French industry argues that the next few years will be difficult for the country . 

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"The more or less scheduled abandonment of nuclear power was a disaster"

While France has lost 40% of its industrial companies over the last twenty years, i.e. between 2 and 3 million direct jobs, the recovery plan devised by the government intends to turn the tide and relocate the industry by devoting 35 Billions of Euro's.

A process that will be long and complex according to Henri Proglio, who recalls that "these are areas of expertise, of excellence that we have let slip away, nuclear in mind".

For the former CEO of EDF and Veolia, it is also heartbreaking: "the more or less programmed abandonment of nuclear power was a disaster, we are suffering the consequences today and we are going even further. see tomorrow".

"A sad spectacle", at a time when "this industry will experience a new rebound," he adds.

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"We're leaving with a certain handicap"

As to whether the recovery plan as a whole, which gives pride of place to the industry, is going in the right direction, the former CEO believes it is essential, before kicking in touch.

"I cannot judge if it will be sufficient."

However, "we are not going to catch up with 40% of French industry with a recovery plan," he points out.

And to conclude: "we start with a certain handicap."