The executive present in force at the start of the Medef, the bosses defiant

Elisabeth Borne (Matignon), Olivier Dussopt (Labour), Clément Beaune (Transport), Bruno Le Maire (Economy and Finance), Agnès Pannier-Runacher (Energy transition), Thomas Cazenave (Public accounts)... A dozen members of the government are expected at the Longchamp racecourse, in western Paris, for the Meeting of French Entrepreneurs (REF), the Medef summer school.

They were preceded by Emmanuel Macron, who hammered in a video message to the bosses that he "needs" them while calling on them to "unity" to win the battles for jobs and growth.

A few moments later, the new president of Medef Patrick Martin went on stage to the sound of Queen's hit "Don't Stop Me Now", a song "which makes you happy in this somewhat anxiety-provoking period".

“A new spread of the abolition of the CVAE would be a very bad signal”, launched outright Mr. Martin to the Prime Minister seated in the first row.

Employers are indeed concerned about the recent announcement by the government of the staggering until 2027 of the abolition of the Contribution on the added value of companies (CVAE), a tax which was to disappear entirely in 2024.

"There is nothing to worry about, we have shown remarkable consistency in lowering taxes, on households as well as on businesses. I will not deviate from this line", promised Monday morning on France Inter Bruno Le Maire.

For Patrick Martin, the need to reduce public expenditure is not a valid reason because the 4 billion CVAE remaining to be eliminated "represent only 0,4% of public expenditure". "Don't make us believe that we can't find this economy elsewhere," he told Le Figaro.

"Our companies, particularly our industrial companies, urgently need this immediate suppression at a time when global competition is intensifying and when we must invest massively in decarbonization", insisted Patrick Martin at the opening of the REF.

In addition to tax matters, in his speech he praised the autonomous social dialogue between trade unions and employers and read an extract from a letter from Pope Francis, in which the sovereign pontiff describes entrepreneurs as "essential actors of prosperity and happiness. audience".

Tomorrow Never Dies

From Tourcoing (North), Elisabeth Borne for her part said on Sunday that “from part-time work suffered to poorly paid jobs, through career progression and the fight against discrimination, we expect a lot from companies.”

A year after her first intervention at the REF in her functions as Prime Minister - a call for energy sobriety received without enthusiasm by the audience - the head of government must remain on stage on Monday for around thirty minutes, where she will first respond to questions from journalist Christophe Jakubyszyn before addressing a short speech to the bosses.

While awaiting the government's arbitrations for the 2024 budget at the end of September, the 150 speakers announced will debate various subjects: energy transition, the future of transport, the role of the State in the economy, but also women's rights, the education system, artificial intelligence and same future of religions.

The CEO of Veolia Estelle Brachlianoff, the CEO of Suez Sabrina Soussan and that of System U Dominique Schelcher will question Monday the possibility of reconciling growth and sobriety, alongside economist Patrick Artus and climate expert Jean -Marc Jancovici.

The next day, the leaders of TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanné and EDF Luc Rémont will discuss how to "support growth without damaging the climate" with climatologist Jean Jouzel and Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

Despite shocks and crises, "for entrepreneurs, tomorrow never dies", according to the title of the 2023 edition of the REF inspired by that of a James Bond opus.

Over the two days of the event, just over 10.000 people are expected by the organizers.