"You scare us": challenged by Yves Camdeborde, Manuel Bompard responds to the fears of entrepreneurs

Is the NFP's economic program unfavorable to VSEs and SMEs? This is what restaurateur Yves Camdeborde and entrepreneur Mourad Boudjellal consider, who challenged LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard on the set of Grandes Gueules this Friday. "A witch hunt," denounced the former, while the latter fears, if LFI comes to power, that he will be "perceived as a sort of criminal."

"What I'm challenging is a policy that was primarily designed to benefit very large companies ," the Bouches-du-Rhône MP begins. "The tax credits have largely benefited multinationals, but they haven't created jobs. On the contrary, they've destroyed jobs, and the money has gone directly to shareholders. I make a distinction between very large groups and small and medium-sized businesses," he emphasizes.

"SMEs and micro-enterprises face major difficulties accessing credit. We propose creating a public banking center that will give them this access. The same goes for the cost of energy: we must reestablish regulated electricity prices, and not allow a market that causes increases of 100 or 200%," advocates the Insoumis. He believes that with a public investment policy—for example, in energy renovation—the entire construction sector would benefit.

Except that for Mourad Boudjellal, the real problem lies in employer contributions, which are too high for his liking. "We need a competitive offer, and for that, we need to lower the charges so that they are reflected in the selling price." "URSSAF charges are a real pain, especially when you're small," agrees self-employed entrepreneur Joëlle Dago-Serry.

"We tell you that we need a reduction in taxes, and you say no. You talk about hitting multinationals, but what hurts, when you're small, isn't the tax rate, it's the complexity of the State," she laments.

A sham trial according to Manuel Bompard: "What are these social security contributions for? They fund social security, health insurance, and pensions. This isn't money stolen from employees. Making people believe that people would live better if these contributions were eliminated isn't true," insists the Insoumis. "In countries where there is no public system, you don't have a pension: only capitalization and private insurance."

"Working should not be seen as a tax. It should be a way to consume," says Mourad Boudjellal.

The French social system suits Yves Camdeborde, as he acknowledges. "What bothers me is that we apply the same taxes regardless of the profession. In the restaurant industry, for example, we need a lot of labor. So we pay a lot of charges, but we are taxed like other sectors that don't need to hire. As a result, we are disadvantaged, even though we create a lot of jobs," he points out.

"This is why taxation must be adjusted according to what companies do with their profits: do they reinvest in their working tools, or do they distribute dividends?" replies Manuel Bompard.

The LFI coordinator thus calls for a "change in economic policy" in order to restore purchasing power to the French, who can no longer afford to eat in restaurants. "The complete opposite of François Bayrou's," he concludes.