The general director of Medef, Patrick Martin, declared himself “concerned” on Thursday about the situation in Europe and the risk that Europe will be “left out of the game” between the attractiveness of the United States and the commercial “hyperaggressiveness” of China.
“I’m worried,” observes Patrick Martin in an interview with Les Echos. “What catches my attention is the enormous disconnection we see between Europe and the United States,” in terms of “activity, investments and even capital flows.” Added to this is “China’s commercial hyper-aggressiveness” and there is, according to the president of Medef, “a significant risk that Europe will be left out of the game.”
“Red line” in the CIR
“We are quite dissatisfied with the way Europe has been managed in recent years,” he says, judging that it should be “more pragmatic and less naive.” “We remain very pro-European,” she says, however. In France, Medef shares “the feeling with the executive that activity should accelerate in the second half,” anticipating growth of 0.8% to 1% this year.
On Sunday, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire lowered the government forecast from 1.4% to 1%. “He explained that there will be no tax increase. He will reassure us by specifying that this does not call into question the promised reductions”, reports Patrick Martin in Les Echos.
For him, questioning aid to companies, such as the Research Tax Credit (CIR), “is a red line.” “On peut sans doute économiser quelques millions ici ou là, en corregeant certains effets d’aubaine. Mais la remise en cause du CIR serait un très mauvais signals alors que nous devons investr plus que never dans l’innovation”, note-t- He.
“Waiting period”
Patrick Martin would prefer to save “in the health system”, particularly in terms of absenteeism. According to him, there is “an inflation of sick leave and its costs, especially among young people.” We must “stop this uncontrolled increase”, but not by “transferring this burden to complementary health insurance and, therefore, to companies.”
Medef “defends the idea of a real waiting period”, except in serious pathologies. His president would also consider it “premature” for the Government to now send a new framework letter on unemployment insurance, “for reasons of the social climate and respect for the social partners.” Finally, he believes that the negotiation on the employment of older people “will be successful”, but “we should not expect revolutionary measures.”
Source: BFM TV
