At the microphone of Europe 1, economist Nicolas Bouzou assured that the State had the means for new confinement, while confiding his concern about the consequences of such a device on the mental health of the French.
On the other hand, he assures, it would be illusory to want to loosen the restrictions on the pretext of reviving the economy.
INTERVIEW
Should France be resigned to a new confinement?
While the appearance of the British and South African variants continues to make health authorities and the executive fear a strong resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Friday the strengthening of several restrictions in order to " do everything possible to avoid "this new confinement.
While the government's strategy is not unanimous, economist Nicolas Bouzou, invited Saturday from Europe 1, believes in any case that it is illusory to imagine easing restrictions to revive the economy.
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"The state has the means for a third confinement", assures Nicolas Bouzou, recalling that when the French state goes into debt on the markets, "it does so at very low rates".
This debt, he reassures, can be repaid by growth.
On the other hand, the economist is worried about the consequences at the psychological level of a new confinement, in particular for students or business leaders.
But while some observers or members of the opposition regret the impact of the restrictions on the economy, and plead for a reduction, this vision does not convince the guest of Europe 1. "I hear a lot about this balance between the economy and health, but I do not think that things play out exactly like that, "he replies, believing that" the economy does not coexist with the virus.
"The Swedish strategy doesn't work"
"In all the countries which have decided to ease restrictions, adds the founder of the economic research company Asterès," we have a resurgence of the virus and a deterioration of the economy. So the only way out of the economic and social crisis is to get out of the health crisis and not to say that we are abandoning the fight against the health crisis to allow the economy to recover ".
This approach, he concludes, "it does not work, it will never work".
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Nicolas Bouzou insists on the failure of certain strategies implemented in other countries.
"The Brazilian or Swedish strategy (...) it doesn't work. The recession in Sweden is stronger than in Denmark, while health restrictions in Denmark are stronger than in Sweden."