The president of Medef fears a “dropout” of French companies

The president of Medef Patrick Martin said he was “worried about the investment of our companies”, faced with Bercy’s “temptation to call into question the support systems”, and spoke of a “risk of dropping out” in the face of international competition, in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche. “In the State budget and the Social Security budget, Bercy's temptation to question business support measures is already there, even as our economy slows down,” said Patrick Martin.

“I am very worried about the investment of our companies, when on the contrary they must be able to invest massively”, particularly in artificial intelligence or the ecological transition, he pleaded. The employers' representative particularly targeted "the United States, which invests billions of dollars in the economy and attracts European companies."

The savings to be made on the State and Social Security budgets must reach “at least 20 billion euros” in 2025, the government announced at the beginning of March, “taking into account the 2023 results” of public finances and the downward revision of growth forecasts for 2024. The head of Medef believes that, “in this search for savings, companies should not be targeted”. “The government, faithful to its fiscal rhetoric, repeats to us that there will be no tax increases,” he declared. “But that does not mean that he does not intend to reduce tax reductions, as he has already done on social charges, or postpone indefinitely promised reductions as with the CVAE. Which amounts to the same thing!”