2024-01-16 21:41:33
Published on Jan 16, 2024 at 10:41 p.m.
The temples are grayer than then, but the speech has not changed that much. To relaunch his five-year term, Emmanuel Macron sought this Tuesday to rediscover accents from his period of conquest of power, by announcing what looks like a “Macron II law”.
During the press conference held at the Elysée, the Head of State explained that he wanted “Act II of the law on growth, activity and economic opportunities to further liberate those who, who dare, who work.” A way of tackling the “complexities that protect annuities, established situations”. “We need to put boldness and energy back into the system,” he continued.
Grande consultation
With these announcements, the President of the Republic seems to summon the spirits of his famous law of 2015, when, then “simple” Minister of the Economy, the former deputy secretary general of the Elysée had managed to make a name for himself and to build his stature as a reformer with this text on “growth, activity and equal economic opportunities”. However, the context has changed, at least for the presentation. At the time, he was keen to embody the “start-up Nation”. This Tuesday, he more readily took on Pompidolian accents, saying he wanted to embody “the France of common sense rather than the France of hassle”.
What might this new law do to unleash growth? For the moment, this does not present emblematic measures like that of 2015 (Sunday work, industrial tribunal reform, opening of the notary profession, “Macron cars).
The Head of State spoke of the fact that there were still “too many useless standards which discourage entrepreneurs, industrialists, traders, farmers, craftsmen, mayors, those who do”. The government will therefore have to “remove standards, reduce deadlines, facilitate hiring, and increase all the thresholds for triggering obligations”.
This speech seems to refer to the initiative already launched by Bruno Le Maire. In mid-November, the Minister of the Economy launched a major consultation until the end of the year, which attracted 730,000 participants and brought out 5,400 proposals. At the beginning of January, the tenant of Bercy had promised measures in March 2024, with a dual objective, “a massive wave of simplification and a transformation of the relationship between administration and businesses”.
Simplification of housing standards
This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron clarified some ideas. “If we moved the thresholds, on many regulatory or legal thresholds, we would simplify the lives of many people,” he said. The head of state also argued that “if the administration did not have the right to request the same information that it has already requested in the last two years, we would change the lives of many people”. A measure which seems particularly inspired by the CPME’s proposals submitted on Monday to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, around the principle “tell us once” so that we stop asking companies once more and once more for the same information.
Concerning the simplification of standards, Emmanuel Macron particularly highlighted the housing issue, citing the relaxed system put in place in Ile-de-France for 5 years in view of the Olympic Games which made it possible to bring buildings out of the ground. in record time. “We are going to make big simplifications, big operations of national interest,” he continued.
Spending review announced
This question of means to revive economic activity is all the more important in the eyes of Emmanuel Macron, as he continues to make it the cornerstone of his policy of restoring public accounts. “The heart of the budgetary battle is a battle for activity and the creation of jobs and wealth.” “If France had the same employment rate as Germany, we would not have a public finance problem,” he argued.
Savings on public spending? They are needed, but they only come second in his speech. “At the same time, the government will also have to build an ambitious spending review and a real reform of the State,” he said. It is up to the Prime Minister and Ministers of Bercy to take on, therefore, necessarily unpopular measures.
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