Nicolas Bouzou 11:01 am, December 02, 2021

In the official declaration of candidacy of Eric Zemmour for the presidency of the republic, the economy does not have the lion's share.

In his eco editorial, Nicolas Bouzou returns to this meager part of the economy and detects a global mercantilist vision but not liberal, sovereignist, and a manifest absence of specific and concrete measures thus reflecting a certain contempt for the economy for the benefit of the political speech.

EDITORIAL

Officially candidate for the presidency of the Republic, in his video posted last Tuesday, Eric Zemmour outlined some main ideas of his program.

In the eco editorial, Nicolas Bouzou returned to his economic program which he considered unsuitable and backward-looking.

According to the editorialist, although Eric Zemmour is interested in the greatness of France seen from a military angle, he is not interested in the well-being of its inhabitants and therefore, he is not very interested in the 'economy. 

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A vision rather than a program 

There are not really precise economic measures, but there is a certain vision of the economy.

According to Eric Zemmour, we need more industry, more made in France.

This is what was called between the 16th and the 18th century mercantilism.

According to Eric Zemmour, stopping immigration will solve our problems of deindustrialisation, jobs, purchasing power and debt.

It is a protectionist vision that is fairly shared in the political class today.

The candidates Arnaud Montebourg, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, advocate protectionism that approaches the vision set out by Eric Zemmour in his candidacy video. 

Mercantilism but no liberalism

Denouncing the French or European bureaucracy and resembling a mercantilist vision of the economy, Eric Zemmour is not, however, a liberal.

He is protectionist, he is Colbertist, he hates globalization.

The hostility of candidate Zemmour to technological innovation is clearly visible in his speech.

A paradoxical hostility to the key question of sovereignty which today involves our ability to master innovation in areas such as digital technology, artificial intelligence or hydrogen.

Contempt for the economy? 

By the absence of precise economic measures, Eric Zemmour puts the political discourse above the economy.

Voters may not be interested in industry's share of GDP or the number of unfilled jobs.

But the economic reality is there.

This idea that politics must be above the economy has always been present among several candidates.

For economic reasons, François Mitterrand or Jacques Chirac, for example, were forced to take measures that went against their program less than two years after the start of their mandate.

To despise the economy in a presidential campaign is to condemn oneself, if one is elected, to lie to the voters.