Competitiveness and industrialization at the heart of the speeches of the candidates in front of the bosses

Less than two months before the presidential election, the six candidates, selected by the Medef, expressed themselves in a civilized atmosphere in front of business leaders, during a meeting organized by the employers' organization, the Business Institute and chambers of commerce and industry, at the heart of the Station F start-up incubator in Paris.

Absent at the last minute, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

"Not available" according to the Medef, it wanted to send a representative, an option that the organizers refused.

The exchanges were above all an opportunity for the candidates to try to convince the business world that they intended to defend its interests during the next five-year term.

Unsurprisingly, the question of competitiveness was at the center of the speeches, the candidates having all pointed to the record trade deficit recorded by France last year.

The right-wing candidates have defended a reduction in the tax burden on companies, Éric Zemmour, Marine Le Pen and Valérie Pécresse promising in particular to continue the reduction of production taxes.

Fabien Roussel wants to act instead on "the energy bill of companies", the communist candidate also defending the nationalization of a bank and the insurer Axa to allow the State to invest more in the economy.

Anne Hidalgo campaigned for the status quo on corporate taxes.

Its flagship proposal is "the generalization of work-study training after the baccalaureate", likely to appeal to employers.

This is less the case of the "ecological bonus malus on economic policy tools" put forward by Yannick Jadot, just like the climate ISF, which he shares with the socialist candidate.

But the ecologist praised the ability of companies "to transform constraints into opportunities".

“The ecological transition will be done with companies or it will not be done”, he assured by promoting an “ecological patriotism”.

Another widely shared need: the reindustrialization of France.

This goes in particular for right-wing candidates through a "simplification" of standards, for Valérie Pécresse who has outlined detailed measures to debureaucratize the administration, when Éric Zemmour leans for a "high commissioner for administrative simplification".

The LR candidate for the French presidential Valérie Pécresse speaks in front of 400 entrepreneurs at the invitation of the Medef, in Paris on February 21, 2022 Eric PIERMONT AFP

If the question of Europe divided the candidates, on the budgetary rules or on French sovereignty in the European Union, all defended a carbon tax at the borders of the EU.

Wage increases

They also want the state to invest massively in the economy: via a sovereign fund for Marine Le Pen which would attract French savings, while Yannick Jadot proposes to mobilize 25 billion euros in the ecological transition, and Anne Hidalgo four "industrial odysseys" in health, mobility, digital and ecological transition.

The candidates finally said they wanted to increase net salaries, while purchasing power is the first concern of the French in this campaign, whether by lowering charges on the right or by increasing the minimum wage for representatives of the left. .

The candidates also tried to reassure on the financing of their program, even if the subject of the public debt was only slightly addressed.

French presidential RN candidate Marine Le Pen (g) and her opponent Reconquête!

Eric Zemmour in front of 400 entrepreneurs in Paris, February 21, 2022 Eric PIERMONT AFP

Only Valérie Pécresse has strongly emphasized the savings she wants to make: 45 billion euros, in particular through the elimination of 200,000 positions in the civil service.

Marine Le Pen has sought to give herself the image of a responsible manager by justifying her partial abandonment of retirement at age 60 by the level of public debt.

After more than three hours of discussions, the boss of Medef, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, who had called on the assistance to a "respectful" attitude, refused to "support such and such a candidate".

"Our concern was to refocus the public debate on essentially economic and also social issues: mission accomplished, I would say, on the part of the candidates", greeted Patrick Martin, deputy president of Medef.

"We can still see, and you won't make me say who I'm thinking of, that in the eyes of business leaders, some programs are more powerful, more effective, more relevant than others," he said. commented.

© 2022 AFP