It will not be a new “whatever it takes”, assures the government, but of a set of measures devoted to the companies and sectors most affected by the conflict in Ukraine, which is causing a surge in the prices of energy and raw materials. Prime Minister Jean Castex presents, on Wednesday March 16, the “resilience plan”, promised by Emmanuel Macron to deal with the economic consequences of the conflict. “It will be very sectorized”, insisted the head of government last week. With the key, several billion euros on the table. Follow our live.
The Medef requests the reactivation of partial unemployment. Faced with the supply difficulties of certain companies linked to the crisis in Ukraine, the president of Medef asked on Tuesday that the aid system for partial activity be reactivated. “We must put back partial unemployment for companies forced to stop, because we are really in a case of force majeure”, said Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux on RMC. A few days earlier, the Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne had meanwhile mentioned the use of the new long-term partial activity system. “Companies that see their production stopped because a component is missing can mobilize long-term partial activity, it is a tool that can protect jobs over the long term”she said on LCI.
Transporters, farmers and fishermen blocked oil depots in Lorient and Brest on Tuesday. The purpose of this movement was to protest against the rise in the prices of diesel and gasoline. After the discount of 15 euro cents per liter of fuel from April 1 announced on Sunday by Jean Castex for a period of four months, they are awaiting other measures. “We will not let the fishermen down”replied Tuesday in the wake of the Prime Minister traveling to Rennes, ensuring, one month before the presidential election, that there would be measures for them in the resilience plan.
Industry also affected by the conflict. In the industrial sector, it is the surge in the prices of certain metals such as aluminum, nickel, titanium or palladium, of which Russia is a major producer, which is putting companies in the automotive or aeronautics, especially if the conflict is to last. Not to mention the logistical problems posed by the disruption of certain supplies from Ukraine or Russia. For “all companies that have contracts with Russia, whose supplies depend on raw materials manufactured or sourced from Russia, aluminum, titanium… the more they are exposed, the higher the compensation will be”promised Jean Castex Thursday, in the Aisne.