In the spotlight: SNCF's family jewels soon to be sold to finance its relaunch
Audio 04:37
SNCF TGVs parked at the Charenton-le-Pont depot, April 29, 2020. Charles Platiau / Reuters
By: Norbert Navarro
9 min
Publicity
100 billion for the recovery.
Prime Minister Jean Castex detailed on Thursday the plan to get France out of the crisis.
SNCF's financial assets will soon be put up for sale.
According to the front page of the business daily
Les Echos,
the SNCF was "
pampered by the state
".
Pampered?
Being reminded that the SNCF is the national company of railways in France, the Minister for Transport told the newspaper
Le Parisien
that the SNCF will have to consider selling subsidiaries to regain its financial trajectory.
"
We are studying with SNCF the financial assets that could be sold,
" announces Jean-Baptiste Djebbari in
Le Parisien
.
SNCF did not comment on the words of the Minister of Transport.
The SNCF, therefore, but not only.
The executive promises 1.5 more points of growth by the end of 2021. A significant endowment of the recovery plan will be intended to contain the rise in unemployment.
Employee unions denounce the lack of compensation for aid granted to companies.
Here, in summary, the essential retained by the press this morning.
Green is in the plan
With an emphasis on the “
green
” component of this recovery plan.
The ecological transition "
takes a good share of 30 billion
", underlines
Liberation
.
A piece of the cake that "
seems beautiful
", admits
Libé,
while denouncing this "
at the same time of ecology
", NGOs and environmentalists pointing to "
inconsistencies
" and "
forgotten sectors
", reports this daily.
"
Ecology makes it possible to massively create jobs
", retorts in
Les Echos
the Minister of Ecology Barbara Pompili.
There remains the question of the financing of this plan.
But Jean Castex repeated that there would be no tax increases to finance these 100 billion euros.
For the newspaper
L'Opinion
, this is "
the most relevant measure of the recovery plan
" and this measure "
is undoubtedly the one that has been ruled out
", underlines this daily.
But beware, warns
L'Opinion
, "
the hardest part will be to keep this promise over time
."
To support its depressing prediction,
L'Opinion
refers to a study by credit insurance specialist Euler-Hermes, according to which “
the stimulus plan will add 2.4 percentage points to French growth in 2021 and 2022, while the government expects 4 additional points
”.
Euler Hermes estimates that this plan "
will deteriorate our trade deficit by 12 billion euros in 2021 and 2022, against a deterioration of 3 billion euros in Germany
" - in other words imports will soar - and this plan "
Will therefore delight our two main trading partners, Germany and China,
" points out
L'Opinion.
The Republic challenged by separatism
September 4, 1870 - September 4, 2020, the Republic is 150 years old.
An anniversary celebrated at the Pantheon by the president.
And to mark the advent of the Third Republic, proclaimed by Léon Gambetta, Emmanuel Macron goes this Friday morning to this monument dedicated to “
great men
” to whom the Party dedicates eternal gratitude.
He will deliver a speech there to call on the country to “
republican patriotism
” while the president must face the “
security and separatist challenge
”, underlines
Le Figaro
, pointing out that the “
separatism
” mentioned by Emmanuel Macron himself will, on his part, the subject of a new intervention in September before the presentation of a bill on the subject in the Council of Ministers.
Confirming that this bill will first be presented by Emmanuel Macron,
Le Parisien
specifies that the Head of State will present the broad outlines during a trip on September 15 to "
a land impacted by separatism, marked by departures towards conflict zones and where a work of republican reconquest has recorded results
”.
This text, therefore, will provide for a "
shock measure
": the obligation for subsidized associations to sign a "
charter of republican values
".
As
Le Parisien
decrypts it
, “
in plain language: in the event of community deviation, the State will cut off food
!
".
But Emmanuel Macron also has in mind his program of commemorations for next year.
Still according to
Le Parisien
, “
the Élysée checked the date of October 9, 2021 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty.
A date dear to the left and to the fans of François Mitterrand
", formulates
Le Parisien
, wondering, falsely candid, if it will not be a"
nod to the left, one year from the presidential
”.
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