Will we witness a wave of bankruptcies of French companies despite the 45 billion in aid already put in place by the State? According to some recent estimates, they could oscillate between 55,000 and double in 2020.
Compensation for partial unemployment is a good thing, at least for companies that have employees, notes Eric Chevée, vice-president of the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME). But this does not alleviate the financial burden of investments in equipment, high in certain sectors such as transport, construction, catering, industry … As for loans guaranteed by the State, deferrals of social charges, tax, it will have to reimburse them. However, by the end of the fiscal year, companies will have lost one, two, three months in turnover.
The operating loss is the big hole that remains in the racket deployed by Bruno Le Maire and the government. These recipes that we do not earn in the event of a hard blow, insurers sometimes compensate for them. But only when they result from well-defined claims: fire, water damage, machine breakdown.
In the event of a natural disaster (drought, earthquake, flood, etc.), and when the State decides, it in turn intervenes in addition to the insurers. Hence the demand that the concept of health catastrophe be recognized today,
claims Eric Chevée.
50 to 60 billion to compensate
The concept does not exist in contracts, opposes the French Federation of Insurance (FFA). But it is a hit. The first to draw: restaurateurs, in the wake of Parisian chef Stéphane Jégo, who launched the “Chefs en péril” movement and rallied 60,000 signatures on his online petition. Objective: that insurance companies shake up their red lines and make a move.
This was also the message sent, from March 17, by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, who had warned that the state would not cover operating losses
.
The FFA has since made certain efforts. But not up to the estimated and colossal amount of 50 to 60 billion losses to cover.
As a result, the arm wrestling with Axa, Generali, Allianz and other MMA is gaining momentum. Many small and medium-sized enterprises – CPME, Union of hotel trades and industries, Union of the self-employed – are now joined by many parliamentarians to call, again and again, the insurance giants to dip into their deep pockets.
The very silent Medef
Deafening silence, however, on the side of Medef. Asked about the issue, the employers’ organization only referred to … the FFA. Which is none other than one of its mighty branches.
Will the standoff end there? In the entourage of Bruno Le Maire, we call for moderation we do not know where this crisis is leading us. It’s always tempting to want to
pay
insurers or banks. But these are solid sectors in France today, which should not be weakened.
The government’s attention seems to be focused on the new means which the European Union could acquire. The 27 member states were negotiating yesterday on the mobilization of 500 billion euros of support for the economy. And Monday, April 6, Bruno Le Maire opened the door to outright cancellation of certain social and tax deadlines for companies in difficulty. As for insurers, they may have passed between the drops this time.
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