Social plans from Michelin and Auchan: why the announcements of the two groups are a hard blow for the Macronists

“Since the arrival of Barnier, nothing has gone well. There are social plans because he has a depressive side…” The joke of this former minister does not hide his concern well. Indeed, the announcements from Auchan and even more so from Michelin worry the Macronists. “Everyone knows that Auchan is doing badly because the ‘hyper-hyper’ model is fading away. But Michelin is more serious. It’s a symptom of a loss of competitiveness in France, but it’s was our strong point”, recognizes this former government pillar.

Empty order books

Our former minister anticipates a profound movement: “Investors tell us that they no longer want to invest until they know where the government wants to go, but the debates around the budget are far from reassuring them. Basically, since the dissolution the order books are empty because the political uncertainties are too great. Enough to put an end to the fall in unemployment which has already slowed.

The Jospinist spiral

Michel Barnier, aware of the political risk, seemed to want to take on the issue. Yesterday in the Assembly, during current affairs questions, he insisted: “I am concerned to know what we did in these groups with the public money that we gave them. I want to know.” He announced that he wanted to “ask questions” of the leaders of these large firms, then “learn lessons” from potential abuses and abuses. But he didn’t specify what those lessons might be. “The risk is to nourish the feeling that politics is incapable of acting,” explains our ex-minister, before adding with a glance at Olivier Faure who is having lunch a few meters away: “We are leaving again. in the Jospinist spiral…” For the record, in 1999, commenting on stock market layoffs at Michelin, Lionel Jospin said: “We should not expect everything from the State”. This partly cost him the presidential election.