On the eve of the reopening of terraces and shops, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, on Tuesday promised "
strong growth
" in 2021 and a "
gradual
"
return
of "
the French art of living
" .
To read also: Reopenings Wednesday: "It is a very important moment", estimates Bruno Le Maire
"
The French economy will recover,
" assured Bruno Le Maire during a visit to a Parisian restaurateur.
"
We will return to the pre-crisis level of activity in the first half or even the first quarter of 2022
".
In the long term, the Minister is counting on “
a gradual return to normal life, of these moments of conviviality, of our art of living.
"
The reopening of terraces, bars and restaurants is according to him “
a symbol, a fundamental step
” in view of a resumption of activity.
"
It is a moment of joy for all of us
" which must be "
a collective success
" he added.
The return of tourists
Visiting the “
Le Départ
”
bar-restaurant on
Place Saint-Michel, a stone's throw from Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, Bruno Le Maire was challenged by traders on the importance of the return of foreign tourists.
After having said that he wanted the activity to "
restart strongly
", one of the bartenders replied "
we have to bring back the tourists!"
""
On tourism, I do not know what will be the rules of the United States, China or Japan
"he replied during a tour de table, ensuring that the French will be there. to “
participate in the recovery through consumption
”.
And he promised "
a meeting clause at the end of August
" to take stock of aid for traders in tourist areas.
Read also: Catering: the entire sector on the bridge to reopen the terraces
"
A loan must be repaid
", however, reminded the former member of the Eure to a trader who questioned him about the possibility of canceling the debt of certain companies which would struggle to repay their PGE (Loan Guaranteed by the State) , recognizing that there could be “full
or partial
”
cancellations
in exceptional cases.