No question of dropping the industry and its employees. While unemployment is back to over 10%, Nicolas Sarkozy, traveling to Marignane, Eurocopter's headquarters, close to the States-General of Industry, announced yesterday a series of measures to stop the deindustrialization of France. "France must remain a major industrial nation. It owes its history, it owes to its economy, it needs to its people, "said President of the Republic. He added that we have "no sustainable growth without a strong industry.

Since 2000, metropolitan France has lost half a million jobs in the industry, which occupies more than 13% of the workforce, against 16% ten years earlier. As a result, France became the "great European country most deindustrialized," said the head of state, far behind Germany and Italy."This is not the result of fate" but he believes the consequences of the introduction of 35 hours and high costs which have "deliberately obstructed" for years industrial development. It is also the result, according to Nicolas Sarkozy, weak innovation (which represents 7% of the value as against 10% in A1lemagne, Sweden and Finland), falling from 35% of investment Ten years of low profit margins that reach 29% of the value added against 35% in Germany.

"You could not sit idly by," concluded the President, setting ambitious targets the government: to increase industrial production by 25% by 2015, sustaining employment in this sector and return within five years to industrial trade balance positive.

To achieve this, the Head of State intends to act in three directions.First axis: the establishment of a sectoral policy. Determined to support the most promising sectors, like "chemistry, software, food processing, electronics, Nicolas Sarkozy announced the designation for each branch of a" forum for strategic reflection and exchange. " 300 million euros from domestic borrowing will be devoted to this policy sector, to create particular sector funds in the image of those that already exist in the automotive, aerospace and biotechnology. A mediator of outsourcing will also be appointed by end of March, on the example of the Credit Ombudsman.

Towards the creation of a "relocation allowance"

Second axis, Nicolas Sarkozy has urged the government to "profoundly rethink the taxation of savings, to encourage them to move towards funding equity firms.One track of this reflection is the creation of a savings book industry or the expansion of the booklet sustainable development industry. The President asked the Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde to make tax proposals before the summer.

Finally, the third axis, the president wants "deep state sees its role as shareholder" by strengthening its presence on the board of directors of companies of which he is a shareholder by a second officer representing the department.

Beyond these three tracks, the head of state also hoped that the tax relief be reconsidered, the sectors most exposed to international competition are those receiving the least to reduce charges.He also announced to encourage return of relocated activities, the creation of a "relocation allowance" in the form of 200 million Revolving three years, funded from the general loan. These different sites will be monitored through a national conference of industry, which will extend the work of the States General. It will bring together companies, employees, branches and members of government.

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