Patrick Martin has at least one merit: that of consistency in the positions he displays. For the number one of the Medef, the economic and fiscal policy conducted since Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017 must continue on the same course, despite the defeat of the presidential camp in the legislative elections. This expected message was launched on Monday, August 26, at the opening of the traditional summer university organized by the first employers’ movement at the Paris-Longchamp racecourse. The employer leader took the opportunity to reiterate all the bad things he thinks about the program of the New Popular Front (NFP), with particularly virulent words against the “deadly and liberticidal doxa” developed, according to him, by La France Insoumise.
For once, no representative of the executive branch was invited to speak at this meeting of French entrepreneurs, because Gabriel Attal’s government is dealing with current affairs and cannot therefore provide any indication of the measures likely to be taken in the near future. But the resigning Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire was there, seated in the front row, along with the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance) and Gérard Larcher (Les Républicains), who gave a speech.
NFP projects criticized
Amidst the loud applause of the audience, the Bercy tenant was warmly thanked by Mr. Martin. Putting aside the « divergences » which could have arisen with the power in place – notably on the abolition of production taxes –, the head of Medef wanted to salute this “Dear Bruno” : “You were a determined and decisive craftsman [des] pro-business policies.
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If such guidelines are abandoned, “It will be paid for in cash”Mr. Martin continued, brandishing the threat of a “downgrading” of our country. This was followed by a long series of warnings, to openly criticize the NFP projects, the application of which, however, turns out to be very hypothetical, since Mr. Macron announced, a few hours later, that he did not want a government “on the basis of the program and the parties alone [de gauche] »The president of Medef reaffirmed his hostility to the idea of raising the minimum wage to 1,600 euros net per month and to the repeal of the 2023 pension reform, which pushed back the age of entitlement to a pension to 64.
In passing, he appealed to his employer counterparts and union leaders to restart the negotiation on the employment of seniors which had failed in the first half of April. He said ” ready “ to such an exercise, but on condition that it is accompanied by a reduction in unemployment insurance contributions. On this issue, too, the head of Medef remains faithful to his line: ever fewer levies on businesses.
