At 79 years old, a good thirty of whom spent managing a few industrial flagships – Snecma, Aérospatiale, SNCF, EADS, etc. – Louis Gallois was able to gauge over the long term the commitment of public authorities to the French productive system. . So obviously, when the author in 2012 of a decisive report on French competitiveness says he is “a little annoyed by the drama we have experienced over the last ten years”, we listen.
“France has abandoned all reflection on energy policy. Successive governments have not considered the country’s electricity needs, which will double by 2050. The closure of Fessenheim is a crime against the spirit. The heart of our system is nuclear power. We are one of the rare countries in the world to control the entire chain. It is an energy whose production can be controlled, unlike wind power, and which ensures our independence. In short, we have here an incredible industrial asset, which some have sought to destroy!”, said Louis Gallois during “La Plage aux entrepreneurs”, the event dedicated to “Made in France” of which he was the godfather, and L’Express partner, on September 14.
“A social project”
At the Palais des Congrès in Arcachon, which hosted this day of reflection, the former general commissioner for investment is not the only one to be concerned about the handicaps of the France factory. “The share of our industry in GDP is lower today than that of Spain, Italy, Germany or the United Kingdom, recalls Arnaud Montebourg, Minister of the Economy under François Hollande, re-converted since then in business creation. The balance of our trade balance continues to deteriorate. The employment rate in France is 69%, eight points less than in Germany. As for the number of bankruptcies, it has returned to its pre-Covid level. Can we seriously talk about “exceptional results”, as Bruno Le Maire did, no later than September 12?” Creator thirteen years ago of the Origine France Garantie certification, former UDI MP and Secretary of State Yves Jégo adds: “Producing in France is not only useful for our finances, it is a social project . The unpredictability of the world forces us to repatriate our production, to guarantee our sovereignty. Our survival is at stake.”
Bureaucratic maquis
In a question-and-answer exercise with business leaders who came to attend the debates, Olivia Grégoire, the Minister of SMEs, Commerce, Crafts and Tourism, outlined some ideas for encouraging economic patriotism: creation of a digital marketplace listing all products manufactured in France, the overhaul of training offered by vocational high schools, to respond to labor shortages in certain professions, or even putting it online, from here a few weeks, a one-stop shop allowing leaders to request adequate public aid to facilitate their ecological and energy transition. According to a report commissioned by the Minister of Finance Inspection, more than 300 systems coexist today… A bureaucratic thicket that countless “shocks of administrative simplification” have not succeeded in pruning.