Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes… At the beginning of the week, the territorial Medefs of the South were brought together for the first time in a common stand – logically called Southern Territories – at the Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France (REF) at the Longchamp racecourse near Paris. A strong regional delegation of 140 business leaders came to sniff out the economic spirit and take the measure of their new boss, Patrick Martin, elected in July at the head of the employers’ union. Among these entrepreneurs, 40 Azureens led by Pierre Ippolito, president of the UPE06 (Union for the Enterprise of the Alpes-Maritimes) who debriefs the trip.
REF 2023, a good crude?
We are in a good dynamic. I retain fairly optimistic entrepreneurs, high-end speakers including many ministers. This shows the importance of this event which is becoming almost sovereign in the French economy.
On several occasions during the demonstration, we heard that the government was pro-business… Your opinion?
If we listen to the political speeches, there is, between the government and the economic world, an alignment on the observations. And, possibly, on the theoretical action plans. The government has injected €700 billion in additional debt in six years and we can hope that there will be economic fallout.
But we will have to pay the weight of the debt and it is now that the government must put in place operational acts. But I haven’t heard any concrete proposals. For example, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire did not answer the question concerning the level of social contributions which are at the highest in the history of France.
Is it complicated to work with a government which, in theory, is pro-bosses?
It is, paradoxically, because of this global alignment in the theoretical dialogue. It is therefore up to Medef to go into the operational and the factual. He has done a lot of behind-the-scenes work on the CVAE (contribution on the added value of companies).
The announcement of the postponement to the end of the five-year term of the CVAE has crystallized everyone’s attention, perhaps overshadowing other subjects…
The CVAE crystallized the attention that might have been focused on unemployment and health insurance. Reforms that might have very easy economic benefits without affecting corporate taxation. That of unemployment might alleviate the recruitment problems that are holding back growth. Regarding health insurance, the bosses are asking that work be valued thanks to waiting days paid by the sick and not the companies: which would reduce absenteeism and increase production capacity…
Labor law was not mentioned once: it is a non-subject in France. Just like the simplification shock.
And Europe?
We finally take into account its importance in French political issues and that is quite new. Patrick Martin, who has just appointed a vice-president in charge of Europe, can bring the weight of the economic world to bear and set up a European course of action with employers in other countries. Especially on competitiveness.
Producing in China costs less if there is no carbon tax at the borders to compensate for the difference… We have a real opportunity to interest the French in the European elections of 2024, especially on economic issues. Patrick Martin and his teams prepared a book of proposals ahead of the campaign so that all political parties are made aware.
This is the first time that a Southern Territories stand has brought together six territorial Medefs at the REF…
It is important to show our territorial union and our regional solidarity. We lose efficiency if all the territories do not have coherence or coordination on certain subjects. This joint stand was a first and a trial run that will be improved by increasing the number of events. But we already had a meeting point and an identified place.
Beyond the Ref, we need to multiply the events between the different territorial Medef; it is not necessarily natural.
We have good relations with our counterparts in the region and we need to be close.
And entrepreneurs, what do they think?
The REF, which marks the start of the new economic year, is of interest to leaders from all sectors and of all sizes. Everyone has good reasons to go there.
For Anny Courtade, multi-card entrepreneur (retail, catering, sports club, etc.), “It is very important to be there to exchange, transmit, reassure each other because the context has become more difficult following what we have suffered: energy crises, wars, AI, fear of the unknown and mourning for achievements. You have to stick together to share, find common goals, she believes. Monetary stability has been undermined for whatever it costs and we must now pay the price: billions of euros in debt with worrying interest rates. It may be necessary to postpone the abolition of the CVAE but the situation remains worrying because in companies, we are under attack from a multitude of work stoppages which are very difficult to manage. The Covid has really changed mentalities. We have to hunt down waste and fraud.”
And to wonder: “France is the country where there are the most charges and taxes. What do we do with all this money? Is it used to fight poverty? There are deep structural reforms to be made, but who is going to face them? and engage in this fight?”
Make contacts
Jean-Charles Chemin, director and co-founder of the Nice startup Legapass – which simplifies and secures the transmission of digital heritage – is like all its entrepreneurial counterparts “impacted by the economic climate, he admits. It is difficult to find financing, to ensure the future of the company, to make the right choices at the right time, so we come to take the temperature. The REF makes it possible to see more clearly on the economic climate.”
While he attended numerous debates, the startupper also took the opportunity to make contacts, particularly with insurers, “my target for the next few months”.
For nothing in the world, Christopher Sullivan, managing director of ICDL France in Cannes, would miss an edition of the REF. This digital skills certification specialist has a stand that is always full: “There are a lot of politicians and companies” interested in the solutions that ICDL offers to assess the level of skills of employees on office automation, digital inclusion and cybersecurity.
“The REF is the main event of the economic, political and media return to school, insists the one who has been president of the Federation of Skilled Actors since March. It is important for a small company, certainly in size, but which has a national dimension of to support companies in their rise in digital skills.”
From left to right. Anny Courtade’s interview soon on podcast at PodMédias, the project to create web radios and/or podcasts for cities and businesses by French Riviera resident Frédéric Bossard. Its stand at the REF was full of visitors and editorial content. Jean-Charles Chemin, leader of Legapass, found inspiration and contacts at REF. Christopher Sullivan is a regular at the event which marks for him the economic, political and media return.(Photos K.W.).
