“The state will be alongside companies. » Wednesday evening, October 26, Emmanuel Macron wanted to show that the public authorities would support companies in the face of soaring energy prices, in the same way that they have supported households for a year, by taking charge of the increase in gas and electricity prices, and even part of the increase in fuel.
Since the end of 2021, most of the public funds mobilized via the various tariff shields to contain energy prices have in fact been in favor of households (i.e. 100 billion euros between the end of 2021 and the end of 2023 ). But faced with the risk of closing factories or companies under price pressure, the executive finally decided to reopen aid schemes for the latter, which had been largely supported during the crisis due to Covid-19.
“Those who produce the goods consumed must be helped to absorb energy prices so that they do not pass them on to you”explained the Head of State, Wednesday evening, on France 2, making support for businesses an additional tool to curb inflation. “We are going to adapt our mechanisms on companies to prevent it from spreading. »
In reality, the challenge is at least as much to contain inflation as to show that the State is not abandoning French companies in the face of the energy crisis, while Germany caused an earthquake in Europe in September by announcing a 200 billion euro aid package to protect its households and businesses.
“A risk of relocation”
The government also intends to show that it supports its industrial fabric, while the low energy costs outside Europe, especially in North America, make some think. “There is a risk of relocation if energy remains more expensive than in the United States or Asia”, thus warned Catherine MacGregor, the general manager of Engie, in the columns of the Monde, mid-october. A risk that mainly concerns the largest companies. But the executive considers it necessary to help the entire productive apparatus.
The government will therefore allow very small businesses (VSEs) to benefit from the “same help as households” with the tariff shield. The latter will only suffer a 15% increase in electricity – as much as households – from 1is January 2023. A complementary mechanism for “very small companies that are very consuming electricity or gas”like bakeries, will be added “to cushion the increases” et ” to guarantee “ a reasonable price. It will also be offered to smaller local authorities.
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