“You are a major economic force in our country”: when Bruno Le Maire flatters influencers

Apparently, everything separates them: their ages, their outfits, their backgrounds, their activities... However, Bruno Le Maire did not have tender enough words towards the influencers during a morning of debate organized by their new union, the UMICC (Union of Influence Professions and Content Creators). The discussions focused on the law governing the practices of influencers promulgated before the summer. “In my eyes, you are an economic force which now counts in France, alongside other more traditional sectors such as aeronautics, automobiles, luxury... You are a major economic force in our country,” insisted on several occasions the Minister of the Economy in front of more than 300 social network entrepreneurs.

Bruno Le Maire warded off the mockery to which influencers are sometimes subjected, believing that they practiced a “real profession”. “I saw it when looking at the work of Squeezie (the most followed French-speaking content creator, Editor’s note) and others: it requires a lot of work, a lot of preparation, a lot of professionalism,” he testified. .

This ode to the industry of influence and content creation was also peppered with numbers. The minister, for example, recalled the “considerable” number of influencers in France – 150,000 according to him – and the “billions of views, the millions of euros in turnover, the thousands of jobs” that they generate thanks to to their activities. The number 2 in the government even indulged in a little joke about his personal future, ensuring that he did not rule out becoming an influencer himself “in the years to come”.

If the laughter and applause are to be believed, the seduction operation worked rather well. Because it must be said that the Minister of the Economy and Finance faced very angry professionals. The so-called “influencers” law which must regulate the activities of the sector is viewed very negatively by those primarily concerned. They particularly regret that certain provisions stigmatize their profession.

In an exchange which followed his speech, Bruno Le Maire committed to the creation of a “permanent working group”, where representatives of content creators on the Internet and state administrations will sit, so that the implementing decrees of the law are as consistent as possible with the aspirations of the sector. The UMICC welcomed this news.

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After having cajoled the influencers for a long time, the Minister of the Economy did not fail to remind them of their responsibilities. “When we are a large economic sector of the nation, when we represent hundreds of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of euros in turnover, that obviously calls for regulation. This is what we wanted to do (with this law),” he professed. “Regulation is first and foremost protection. This is to assure you that the influence will not be the Wild West,” he told his audience, believing that “this law is recognition for (their) work.”