"The institutions are seized up": these Var SME bosses fear a new halt in growth after Bayrou's fall

Tired! Olivier Bugette doesn't exactly say it jokingly; the end of the Bayrou government gives him a feeling of déjà vu, and of a sort of stagnation in the country. "This is at least the third government in two years, the institutions are seized up, there is no majority," notes bitterly the CEO and founder of Boîte Immo in Hyères (210 employees), which provides management tools to some 5,000 independent real estate agents spread across France.

"Our sector, which has suffered greatly, was beginning to experience a small recovery, and we don't even have time to celebrate," the entrepreneur despairs, who already imagines the real estate market once again in a wait-and-see mode. "Our institutions are stable, we know that current affairs will be assured, a new government will be appointed, but what worries me is who will take their place? Because we have political parties whose alpha and omega is the creation of taxes. We have experienced a pro-business climate during the last two five-year terms, I would not want us to plunge into another type of climate which, seen from other countries, could be similar not to socialism, but indeed to communism!" wonders the manager, for whom the economic situation is already imposing heavy constraints on the economic world.

"We are emerging from a fragile economic context, with inflation in 2022, 2023 which is continuing a little, a debt which worries everyone and could impose unpopular decisions, unemployment which is slightly picking up and no economic vitality. The market is quick to block decisions, we see clients who are putting off theirs because they do not see clearly" , explains Olivier Bugette, also worried about the social movements to come, because, "the previous ones have cost the economy a lot and it is our employees who are affected."

Hiring freeze

In Signes, in a completely different sector, that of professional waste treatment, Hassen Loucheni, director and partner of the two companies he co-founded, Sovalrev and Ecochenille, (15 employees), agrees. "Our employees are worried; they come to us to ask how the company is doing."

The entrepreneur would also like to recruit, but given the current situation, prefers to opt for fixed-term or temporary contracts rather than permanent ones. This is due to the uncertainty. "We're in an unstable economy, the banks are cautious, and this is holding back investment. It took us two years to balance the budget for Ecochenille, but I don't know if it would still be possible today." For the entrepreneur, the key issue today is, above all, France's budget, beyond the political situation. "We can't imagine a company not balancing its budget for the following year! We're sure to see interest rate increases, but in any case, they won't go down. I'm worried about the level of our politicians. Their main concern is the upcoming elections," fumes the manager, who fears the introduction of new taxes on businesses.

"In other countries, the parties have managed to create alliances to unblock the situation, in France, one wonders if they are aware of what is happening on the ground!"