"It's absolutely heartbreaking": Business leaders' exasperation and concern over political instability

As the confidence vote takes place Monday in the National Assembly, the government's waltz is plunging many business leaders into uncertainty. Some are lamenting a significant decline in activity, while others prefer to postpone decisions until they have more visibility.

Will François Bayrou's government survive the confidence vote on Monday, September 8? The Prime Minister will submit its future to the National Assembly, with a general policy speech at 3 p.m. He assures that the vote that will follow must focus on the need to restore public finances. But barring any surprises, the opposition will vote against him , at least that is what political representatives have announced in recent days.

Among those who will be watching this vote closely will be many business owners, as leaders of both small and large companies fear instability and uncertainty.

Paul Burguburu, president of Constructions industrielles du Rhône, says he is "very worried" today, as political instability has been weighing on his very small company of ten employees for a year. "Since the dissolution, we've had a 20% drop in business, and it's continuing," he laments. "We mustn't let it drop any further."

The consequences are already serious for this manufacturer of metal grilles and staircases. "I let go of two people who left and we didn't replace them," adds the entrepreneur . "We always had one or two temporary workers, but now we haven't taken on any for a year. When you have a 20% drop in activity, we're not like the government, which doesn't know how to save money."

For his part, Cédric Pironneau doesn't see a decline in business for his company: SPVie Assurances, which has 700 employees, half of whom are in France. But the insurance wholesaler is dependent on financial laws, so it's putting off decisions. "We were extremely keen a few months ago to say, 'Let's buy companies abroad and expand,'" he says. " And for now, we're saying we'll wait a bit. We're waiting to find out the name of the future Prime Minister, and we're seeing an inability among politicians to unite on major issues. It's absolutely appalling."

If François Bayrou's government falls on Monday evening, this boss sees only one way out: the organization of new elections.