"We must stop tightening our grip with environmental demands": at the MEDEF meetings, the big bosses play the victim

In a few words, he sums up the general impression. "We're in a mess," says a retired business leader, with the Legion of Honor pinned to his jacket, in the aisles of the Roland-Garros tennis stadium, which on this sunny August 27th is hosting the first day of the meeting of entrepreneurs organized by the Medef ( French employers' association). Because the announcement a few days earlier by Prime Minister François Bayrou of his intention to request a vote of confidence raises the threat of renewed political instability. This worries "economic players."

On stage, the day's speakers are having a field day. For the president of the Medef (French employers' association), Patrick Martin, François Bayrou's decision "adds to our concerns" and the public debate "puts us, as entrepreneurs, in a situation of insecurity."

But the search for a stable environment goes beyond immediate political upheavals. "Our politicians have no idea how much stability and consistency are a competitive advantage in the world we live in," Catherine MacGregor, CEO of Engie , reminded the audience.

Echoing this, in the aisles, Antoine de Froissard, head of Montaigne Énergie, a company he set up with two colleagues in 2023 and whose purpose is to find financing for renewable energy projects , says the same thing. "I need security and visibility over five or ten years on the performance of my financial products," explains the slender young man in a blue suit.

More than the likely dismissal of the Prime Minister, it is the backtracking on climate change adaptation policies that worries him. He particularly targets the recent decision by the Ministry of Finance to reduce the tariff at which these renewable energies are purchased by EDF.

"As a young entrepreneur, it's hard to develop in a sector that's constantly changing," he laments. His solution is radical : he wants a completely private energy market. "As long as we don't have private energy management, we'll have instability," he assures without laughing, while the sharp increases in the gas and electricity market in 2022 had plunged companies into crisis.

Environmental regulations are in the sights of entrepreneurs. "We have to stop tightening our belts with environmental requirements ," Patrick Martin says to a shivering audience. Benjamin Aribaud, who heads a telephone company in the Toulouse region, is not directly affected. But he says he sees "the impact of environmental legislation" among his client companies.

"It's all so nebulous. The rules are changing all the time, and we don't have much information," he laments. Faced with these uncertainties, "the government should do its part and businesses should do the other."

A form of separatism fueled by the feeling that entrepreneurial ideology has already won the battle for public opinion. "Thirty years ago, 60% of young people wanted to join the public service. Today, a survey shows that 63% want to start a business. What a shift!" Patrick Martin says happily.