Paris (AFP)

The president of Medef Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux asked Monday, like the national organization of Chambers of Commerce and Industry which had pronounced a little earlier, that all businesses can remain open in the event of re-containment .

"We are asking to find the right balance, that we leave all businesses open, that we do not fall back into this somewhat absurd debate on essential, not essential, that we had in November," said on RMC the boss of bosses.

"We also want schools to remain open if it is possible. If they are closed, this has an economic impact. This confinement must be as short as possible. Some sectors are in agony," he said. he adds.

Before him, Pierre Goguet, the president of CCI France, the national organization of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, had also pleaded to maintain the opening of trade, for economic reasons but also because traders are "morally extremely affected ".

"It is absolutely necessary that we can have an economic activity which continues", he affirmed at the microphone of BFM Business, adding: "if you put a containment there, you kill the sales, one of the only valves" for traders who have the option to "sell off their stocks" - while the sales are to continue until February 16.

"There is 80% of the economy that is running roughly correctly, 5% that is doing very well and taking advantage of the crisis, it is horrible to say, and 15%, the whole face-to-face economy and its suppliers, who suffers, continued Mr. Roux de Bézieux. The aid is not always sufficient and morally it is very difficult not to have a horizon ".

"This is where the + whatever the cost + must continue, he added. For the rest of the economy, we are ready to say that we have to start thinking about being a little less helpful. . For restaurateurs, we must continue to be 100%. This is normal, it is the State that closed them. "

Mr. Goguet also highlighted the fact that traders "are morally, after these successive layers of constraints, extremely affected, and in danger".

He also asked the government to "reactivate certain derogatory measures", in particular to authorize "click and collect" from restaurants which can no longer offer this service due to the 6pm curfew.

According to data from CCIs from regions where this curfew was imposed in advance, such as Nice or Aix-Marseille, "the average drop in turnover" for businesses "is around 25%", and the "+ click and collect + has fallen by more than 50%", detailed the president of CCI France.

Regarding ski resorts and the mountain economy in general, Pierre Goguet also asked for "a specific recovery plan", while the ski lifts are still at a standstill.

© 2021 AFP