“A real concern” for the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME)
“The state of mind is a real worry, we have uncertainty today,” said Jean-Eudes du Mesnil, national secretary of the CPME, on Radio Classique.
“Companies had put themselves in pause mode, they had suspended their investments and recruitment, will the government that will arrive be able to restore enough confidence in them so that they do not postpone them purely and simply, which would be a total catastrophe", for businesses but also the social protection system, according to him.
No political camp obtained an absolute majority in the National Assembly at the end of the second round of early legislative elections on Sunday. There was no wave of National Rally, the union of the left proved fragile despite its first place, while the macronie was in decline.
After the dissolution, the employers' organizations all denounced economic risks linked to certain programs and the fragility of public finances, while France's debt had increased to almost 3.160 billion euros at the end of March.
"Are we going to maintain the policy of supply", relaunch "the text on administrative simplification" or on the contrary see texts voted on "which suppose more compulsory levies and new constraints", worries M .
The increase in the minimum wage to 1.600 euros net, one of the flagship measures of the left alliance, which came first in seats in the second round, is "a red line" for him. “We must not crash into the wall of reality and take into account the financial situation of our country,” he said.
"Either we try to correct the situation and give them back confidence (in businesses, Editor's note). Or, on the contrary, we put an oar on their heads and it will be a disaster for everyone. And tomorrow what will happen? “France will be placed under supervision,” he believes.
For the Union of Independents (SDI), “imminent risks for our companies”
Following the results of the last legislative elections, the New Popular Front (NFP) and its program came out on top without obtaining an absolute majority.
For the record, the NFP program includes many points described by our business leaders as devastating for the economy.
These include the minimum wage of €1600 net/month, the indexation of salaries to inflation and the increase in taxes.
We are entering a period of major political uncertainty which is already leading artisans, traders and VSE managers to suspend their investments and recruitment, or even cancel them.
What happens next will depend on the capacity of the responsible political forces to organize a republican front, ultimately the real winner of these legislative elections, capable of taking into account the already complex economic reality of VSEs/SMEs.
For Marc Sanchez, general secretary of the SDI: “Without any substantive judgment on the values expressed, we note that the economic program of the coalition at the top of the legislative elections presents major dangers for the French economy and more particularly for artisans, traders and managers of VSEs. Our first reports demonstrate a major fear of these professionals who are suspending or even canceling their planned investments. We are calling for an entrepreneurial front to support an economically and socially sustainable path to the National Assembly for our 4 million businesses and as many employees. »
For Pascal Boulanger, president of the Federation of Real Estate Developers of France (FPI), “there is an urgency” to act for housing
As soon as they are installed, the new National Assembly and the new government must address the question of housing without wasting time: it is urgent!
A new National Assembly, with vague outlines, took shape last night: no political party obtained an absolute majority.
I extend my Republican congratulations to the elected or re-elected deputies: their responsibility will be immense in the coming months, particularly with regard to the solutions they decide to provide to the crisis of housing that is eating away at our society.
The wait-and-see attitude that has prevailed since the announcement of the dissolution on June 9 must end.
There is indeed an urgent need to make the right decisions to finally deal with the housing crisis.
There is urgency because each month that passes sees a number of jobs disappear in the housing sector. A total of 300.000 jobs are expected to be lost in 2024 and 2025.
There is an emergency because students, like last year, will encounter great difficulties in finding accommodation. Nearly 2 in 10 students give up their studies due to lack of accommodation.
There is urgency because in the absence of new housing, businesses will have more and more difficulty recruiting.
There is urgency because each employee who leaves real estate development takes with them unique know-how and skills. It will take 4 to 5 years to train a real estate program manager, for example.
Solutions exist to revive the act of building. They cost the State nothing and can immediately bring in VAT revenue.
They are known to everyone:
- Direction of real estate VAT, beyond a certain threshold, to building municipalities;
- Allow, over a short period, partial exemption from inheritance tax during the first free transfer of new housing acquired off-plan;
- Allow individuals to invest in intermediate rental housing under the same conditions as institutional investors;
- Implement innovative real estate loans, including the hybrid loan (20% of the loan amount being final).
I would like to meet as quickly as possible with parliamentarians and the new government, as soon as it is formed, to discuss all these subjects.
For the Cinov Federation, we must “act for the growth of our businesses and the ecological transition”
At the end of the legislative elections, the Cinov Federation urges the new deputies
and future members of the Government to act quickly on the crucial issues of
our era. The ecological and energy transition, the competitiveness of our companies,
innovation and talent training are major challenges that require ambition
strong and determined policy. These issues are essential for democratic life,
economic and social of our country and are the key to ensuring the creation of value
and jobs by our companies. We must demonstrate strong ambition,
without compromise or reservation, in order to guarantee a prosperous and sustainable future for all.
A professional organization bringing together the 14 unions in the engineering, consulting, digital and, more broadly, the provision of intellectual services (BETIC branch), representing 100.000 companies and 1,2 million employees, the Cinov Federation aims to promote a vision of the future: that of a society centered on the citizen, the user and the responsible actor of the world around him, a society which recognizes the intelligence, the commitment and the creativity of the actors of its territory.
The federation is committed to solid ethical and environmental values, particularly within the framework of the sustainable development objectives set by the United Nations, which guide its action and that of its members. In the professional world, unions, members of the Cinov Federation, consider the values of responsibility, involvement, commitment, conviction and independence to be essential. They expect all of their members to respect these values.
Restore trust
Trust is the cornerstone of any prosperous and sustainable society. This is why the Cinov Federation considers restoring trust as a major challenge to overcome. It thus establishes models of governance serving people, based on anticipation and commitment. The federation is committed to its members and its ecosystem to create the conditions necessary to reestablish this trust. She calls on political representatives to work together to restore trust in our society by promoting ethical, transparent and responsible governance models, and commits to working alongside them to collaborate on this issue.
Meeting current challenges
In this context, the Cinov Federation highlights five essential axes to meet these challenges:
- Accelerate the ecological transition by supporting and accompanying all innovations that offer solutions to meet climate challenges and respect for living things.
- Strengthen the renovation of housing by proposing a “global sensory renovation” of buildings, which takes into account the needs of users and energy and ecological issues. This approach aims to generalize sustainable, carbon-free, secure and resilient housing. The BETIC branch's professions play a key role in the design and construction of buildings, infrastructure and services capable of meeting these challenges.
- Increase the competitiveness of VSE-SMEs through simplified public procurement: anchored in the heart of the territories, these companies are essential links to employment and the success of the transitions underway. They must be able to benefit from a public order that highlights their expertise and commitment. It is imperative to continue the dynamic of easing administrative standards and reducing penalizing taxes.
- Make new technologies and innovation an economic and strategic asset for Europe by creating a “Buy European Tech Act” which will help structure a European cloud and data ecosystem.
- Implement an ambitious and effective policy in terms of professional training and apprenticeship, in particular by reforming the financing system to develop skills and by increasing support for French VSE-SMEs for their employees in training.
Our leaders will have to carry out their action keeping these elements in mind, to allow our companies to continue to develop, to create value and employment, and thus to consolidate the French economic fabric.
Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.