France's Socialist Prime Minister has declared his love for companies and ally Germany in a speech that earned him rapturous applause from the country's business elite, following a damaging political crisis.
Speaking to a gathering of the country's main MEDEF employers' union, Manuel Valls sought to put to bed comments made by his former economy minister slamming France's economic direction and German-led austerity measures, as he consolidates his government's pro-business stance.
"France needs you," he told the gathering on Wednesday, to much clapping. "I love companies!"
"I know it is the custom to oppose the (political) left and the business world, it's an old tune. But I deeply believe that our country needs to shake off this position, these role-plays that we are so used to," he said.
"It has made us lose too much time, and our country is dying because of these positions."
Valls' comments came just two days after he tendered his government's resignation in a shock move sparked when Arnaud Montebourg -- the outspoken former economy minister who is on the left of the ruling Socialist party -- stepped out of line and made the controversial weekend comments.
These cost Montebourg his job, and he has since been replaced by former Rothschild banker Emmanuel Macron, who was economic advisor to President Francois Hollande and one of the architects of the country's move towards a more pro-business outlook.
More than two years after Hollande was elected, France is still desperately struggling to emerge from the crisis, battered by a jobless rate of more than 10 per cent, high taxes and a budget deficit that stubbornly refuses to come down to the EU ceiling of three per cent of GDP.
Valls, who was appointed in March after the Socialists suffered a drubbing in local polls, has been tasked with implementing a package of tax breaks for businesses funded by public spending cuts in a bid to drag the country out of the mire.
The so-called Responsibility Pact aims to cut social charges for companies in return for the promised creation of 500,000 jobs.
Montebourg himself had criticised France's European ally in his weekend comments, arguing Germany was "trapped in an austerity policy that it imposed across Europe" -- remarks that Valls pointedly sought to smooth over in his speech.
"Now more than ever, Europe needs strong and lasting ties between France and Germany," he told the business leaders.
"I reject any absurd face-to-face with Germany," he added.
Share
