Nicolas Sarkozy : “A complete mistake in communications" !

After recognising that the level of salaries in France is “too low” and that companies are making “substantial profits”, Nicolas Sarkozy rejected any idea of increasing salaries, in order keep French companies competitive.

The President is calling for capitalism based on profit-sharing to replace “finance capitalism that just isn’t working”.

To oppose “finance capitalism” - in other words the power of share-holders – let’s increase the number of share-holders ! Just think of it and the François Fillon government will do it. This is what the President of the Republic said last Thursday in his television interview, which he had been carefully preparing all last week.

A "social project"

“I am going to ask the prime-minister to present in the next two weeks a text on employee profit-sharing” Sarkozy told journalists who were asking him about the problem of purchasing power. He pointed out that “a company which distributed part of its profits to its employees will pay less taxes on the profits”. “That’s what a real social project is about”, he emphasized.

Nicolas Sarkozy justified the numerous unpopular “reforms” launched by his government in recent months : sanctions against the unemployed, reduced family allowances, putting older workers unemployment rights in doubt, extending the period of contributions for pensions, etc.

The only measure that appears to answer to social needs, the “Active Solidarity Revenue” (Revenu de solidarité active) has been pushed aside to next year and will be financed by reorganising job-creation subsidies. In brief, the Head of State, is stealing from Paul to give to Peter.

The 14-billion euro fiscal package won’t be enough for him to answer social needs and allow him keep his promises ? “The fiscal package was a complete mistake in communication”, he said without flinching a moment answering his questioners doubts.

Nicolas Sarkozy then tried to hide his inability to follow up on his promises (increasing purchasing power, reviving the economy) by saying the international context was unfavourable.

“Accelerating the reforms”

For the President, the international context involved a triple shock (the sub-prime financial crisis, rising oil prices, rising food prices … ) which our country is facing.

A context which, according to him, “requires an acceleration of reforms”.

To do what ? To make economies. Sarkozy repeated his objective of reducing deficits by suppressing posts in the education sector, by not replacing one out of every two civil servants who retire, etc.

And, to seal it all, he excludes any alternative : “There is no other possible strategy”, he hammered home.