Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy, has just banged his fist on the table by asking insurers to freeze insurance premiums for the hotel and restaurant sector hit hard by the coronavirus crisis and whose the opening outlook is postponed to 2021.
For the Minister of the Economy, insurers must "at least" make this gesture.
"Everyone must change their behavior in this period of crisis," he said on LCI, adding: "it is not just the State that must make efforts".
And to salute the efforts made by the banks.
In reality, the rag is burning with insurers accused since the start of the crisis of not doing enough.
Dozens of disputes between restaurants and insurers over coverage of operating losses, which are rarely covered, have been taken to court.
A letter from "very clumsy" insurers
In addition, Bruno Le Maire did not appreciate the letter of certain insurers sent to companies in this sector aiming to reduce the guarantees covered to lower premiums.
An attitude deemed "very awkward, very inappropriate" by the Minister of the Economy.
Except that this is to forget a little quickly that insurers have all the same since March, deployed various measures for the economy ranging from a contribution of 400 million euros to the public fund to support SMEs to a an investment program of more than one billion euros through various initiatives taken individually by the companies.
In total, insurers contributed 3.8 billion euros.
Ultimatum
Whatever, Bruno Le Maire has decided to set an ultimatum for next Monday to insurers on this issue of the premium freeze on pain of cracking down.
"Today I do not have a positive response", he explained after having "received for the umpteenth time the insurers".
The possible sanction?
Bruno Le Maire recalled that the Senate voted for a budgetary amendment establishing "a levy of 1.2 billion on insurers".
A measure that the Minister of the Economy described as "very brutal".
"I am ready to ask the Assembly to find something more balanced, more responsible, but on a very simple condition: that insurers make a significant gesture in the direction of hotels, cafes and restaurants .
Otherwise we will adopt this amendment, ”he warns.
