“We are worried because it’s chaos. If we don’t have a government, what will happen?” Christian blurted out straight away, on the Aubagne market, “How will current affairs go?” This Wednesday, December 4, the motions of censure tabled by left-wing groups and by the National Rally will be examined in the Assembly. They could lead to the overthrow of the Barnier government, after the triggering of 49.3 to pass the Social Security finance bill. The Aubagnais are wondering what happens next. When questioned, Marc, retired, admits to having postponed a real estate investment. “We vote for responsible people, and in fact, we don’t know where we’re going. That’s why people save: they don’t really know where it’s going to go” he believes.
Behind the stalls of the Aubagne market, the traders are also not calm. “We’re already struggling, it’s going to get worse and worse” judge Christophe, cheesemaker. He continues: “If they break everything like that, we won't make it. There's no money, we won't be able to sell”.
Risk of inertia for local authorities
Another consequence, local authorities could decide to continue to defer public orders, which would put local businesses in difficulty. This is the case for “Les Compagnons de Castellane”, a Marseille-based company with 45 employees, specializing in stone cutting and heritage renovation. “Our turnover is 80% of public contracts” explains Renaud Quercia, its general director, “we are dependent on the good form of these public markets to maintain employment and develop it, all these political uncertainties are not very good signs”.
On the side of elected officials, we ask ourselves a lot of questions. The mayor of La Bouilladisse, José Morales, is not reassured by the idea of a country without a government: “We were very worried about the Barnier government's draft budget. But if the government falls, we know that it will be last year's budget that will be adopted. And it is not a good budget for the finances of the France”. He adds: “It’s not going to be easy for us communities, and especially for small communities”. José Morales dit “understand anger” because the current situation “brings political action into disrepute.”
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