The economy "wakes up slowly, like a sleeping beauty". This Monday morning, on the airwaves of Franceinfo, Bruno Le Maire welcomed the progress known by the country on the economic front, vis-a-vis the crisis of the coronavirus. The Minister of Economy notes that there are "sectors where things are accelerating well" like the building where, "in early May, 45% of activity was stopped", against "28% today ". The same goes for public works, with 80% of the sites stopped at the time of confinement, versus 17% to date.
A greater dependent burden for companies using partial unemployment.What about one of the emblematic devices of this crisis? "We should observe a decrease in partial unemployment in the coming weeks," predicts Bruno Le Maire. "It is not a normal situation and we have to return to normal," he continued. Some companies must therefore avoid "relying solely on short-time working". Moreover, "there will be a greater burden for businesses," announced the minister. The idea? Let the sharing be "as fair as possible" between the sectors which can resume, and those which are forced to stop. The system will thus be maintained "at 100%" for restaurants. "We continue to encourage the maintenance of telework," he said.
A support plan for the automobile. "The French economy has held up thanks to state support," said Bruno Le Maire, who announced "a plan to support the automotive sector within 15 days". Does this mean the return of an incentive bonus? "Of course", abounds the Minister of Economy, but "for support for the purchase of clean vehicles". "We must use this bonus as a lever" to move towards greener cars. As for the aeronautical sector, which is also heavily impacted, a support plan will also be unveiled in the coming weeks.
No return from the ISF. Partial unemployment and many aid schemes have cost the State dearly. "We will have to pay the debt," warns the Minister of the Economy, who, however, "does not want a tax increase". How then to settle this debt? “We will revive the French economy through growth and the return of activity. Raising taxes is the easy way out, ”he said. “This also applies to the ISF (solidarity wealth tax, Editor's note). It is too simple to think that we will be able to pay off our debts by the return of the ISF ”.
The emphasis on innovation. The future of France will rhyme with a head start. "Before the crisis, we were one of the most successful economies in the euro area," says Bruno Le Maire. "At the end of the crisis, the direction I propose is that of a competitive, low-carbon economy". Objectives which are, according to the minister, "completely complementary": "we must innovate, be competitive, [bet on] technology ..." The tenant of Bercy wants to be optimistic: "We have more assets than many European countries to be successful in this area. "
Better remuneration for caregivers. The health crisis has highlighted the essential nature of caregivers, but also the weakness of their salaries. "Bercy has never been on the brakes against the hospital or the upgrading of hospital staff", justified the Minister of Economy, and "it is not because I want the public accounts French are well kept that I do not think of hospital staff, or that I have no heart for those who care for the weakest in our country. "We will certainly have to organize work differently" at the hospital, "that's what Olivier Véran said when raising the subject of the 35-hour week," noted Bruno Le Maire. According to him, “working in the hospital is hard, complicated, stressful and not sufficiently valued from a financial point of view. We are ready for this revaluation ”.
