“French companies are like households: very confident for themselves, very defiant for the French nation”he noted to the press during the presentation of the annual barometer from the ARC firm showing a renewed optimism among business leaders for their own activity but a concern about a possible slowdown in the French economy.
“This collective mistrust has no reason to exist”according to the minister, even if the concern is “legitimate” when we “lives a moment of transition like one every century”marked in particular by the ecological transition.
Bruno Le Maire indicated that he would devote “two or three meetings per week” to the discussion with EDF on energy prices for 2024, and hope “an agreement in the coming days or weeks”. “We work in harmony”he assured.
Now his growth scenarios for 2023 and 2024 (1% then 1.4%), he said to himself “lucid”recognizing however “that we will have to review the entire copy if the conflict in the Middle East spreads”.
For Bruno Le Maire, it is necessary “support all efforts to avoid an escalation”including those of Emmanuel Macron traveling to Israel on Tuesday: “it’s good for the countries of the Middle East and it’s necessary for our economy.”
While the examination in committee of the expenditure of the 2024 budget in the National Assembly began this week, Mr. Le Maire, who wants to “uncompromising on debt reduction”indicated that he had found the billion euros in savings that he wanted to add to the sixteen billion already planned in the initial text.
The government will support amendments from the majority on the creation of a remainder to be paid on the personal training account (CPF), a measure envisaged then withdrawn last year, and “a gel” of the amount of exemption from family employer contributions on salaries between 2.5 and 3.5 SMIC.
The minister confirmed the government’s desire to double the deductible on medicines, which emerges from the Social Security budget currently under debate in the Assembly.
“A franchise (of 50 cents per box) created in 2008 which increases to one euro sixteen years later, it’s not revolting, it’s responsible”estimated Mr. Le Maire, confirming that it would remain capped at 50 euros per year.