For Patrick Martin, the deputy chairman of Medef, the hypothesis of a third reconfinement, on the same model as that experienced by the French last spring, would sign the end of many small businesses, unless the government agrees to new financial measures.

"There will probably be 20 to 25,000 more bankruptcy filings than last year," Medef deputy chairman Patrick Martin said Thursday on RFI, who assures that a "hard re-containment" against the Covid-19 could result by "the definitive collapse of many companies".

"The government is strengthening financial measures. The worst is not certain, provided that we do not have a new confinement," he added.

In a typical year, a little more than 50,000 companies go out of business but, thanks to the measures taken to support the economic fabric in 2020, insolvencies should have fallen by 39.5% compared to 2019, to stand at 30,969, the Banque de France reported in July.

The brutal rise foreseeable in 2021 could bring France back to the level of 2019 (51,496 business failures according to the Banque de France).

"For a very long time, there have never been so few insolvency proceedings for bankruptcy. It is -38% for last year. In January, it does not increase, contrary to what we feared, "added Patrick Martin, more optimistic.

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Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Thursday, January 28

"90,000 businesses" could close in 2021

According to a study carried out in January by the Union of local businesses, 3% of the 6,200 artisans, small traders and liberal professionals questioned "anticipate a closure in the coming months".

If this were the case, 90,000 companies would go out of business in 2021. According to Patrick Martin, it is "rather small and very small companies" which will be victims in 2021 of the economic consequences of the health crisis.

"That would necessarily correspond to tens of thousands of job cuts. These are the non-creation of jobs that have led to the increase in unemployment. We are very affected because we are very dependent on tourism and aeronautics. L 'Asia has restarted very strongly but otherwise it is not better in the closest countries, ”he added.

“Many companies are at the end of their rope even if the government's mechanisms have been powerful and efficient. We are at a tipping point. If we close many sectors of activity, the economy will go into a spin. has other options "than confinement, he assured.