EUROPE
FRANCE: The country is preparing for an unprecedented wave of redundancies and bankruptcies
The companies most affected by the crisis will not withstand the shock. Thousands of social plans, with processions of job cuts, are feared at the beginning. By Manon Malhère and William Plummer
Even if the government injects tens of billions of euros each month to try to save the Tricolour economy, it cannot avoid the inevitable: the multiplication of redundancies and social plans in companies that will not withstand the strongest recession since the end of the Second World War. When France was confined in March, Emmanuel Macron announced that «no company» would be delivered «at the risk of bankruptcy».But here, in this phase of gradual deconfinement, the executive now prepares the minds to the contrary. «There will be bankruptcies and there will be layoffs in the coming months», thus warned the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire at the microphone of Europe 1, last week.
For the time being, the wave of redundancies has not yet overwhelmed the French economy.From 1 March to 17 May, only 53 job protection plans (PES) or social plans – mandatory in companies with 50 minimum employees, starting from 10 redundancies – were initiated, for 2853 job cuts. The number of people registered at Pôle emploi increased by 7.1% in March, but this is mainly due to the non-renewal of short contracts or postponements of hiring.
The solicited lawyers
So far, France seems spared the redundancies.And for good reason, the economy found itself for two months in a form of lethargy largely maintained by the state. The executive has injected more than one million companies with its €110 billion contingency plan, which includes the very expensive short-time unemployment scheme. These actions, which weigh heavily on public finances, made it possible to avoid «a massive wave of redundancies», advanced at the end of April the Minister of Labour, Muriel Pénicaud. But the hardest part is yet to come.Many people who have been arrested and whose remuneration has been subsidized by public money – one in three employees in the private sector! – now at risk of losing their jobs.
There will be layoffs, for sure. But today, we cannot know the extent of them
François Asselin, President of the CPME
“All the indicators show a very sharp fall in production, very poor cash flow and repercussions on employment. I fear that mass layoffs will be inevitable,” said Raymond Soubie, President of the Alixio Human Resources Consultancy and former Nicolas Sarkozy Social Advisor at the Élysée. “There will be layoffs, that’s for sure. But today, we cannot know the extent of it», confirms François Asselin, President of the CPME. However, employers did not wait long to turn to lawyers. «From the beginning of the confinement, companies asked me to prepare social plans in the most affected sectors, such as the restaurant and hotel industry»,says Isabelle Mathieu, Associate Partner at Daem Partners.
The real blow could come in the coming weeks, after the gradual reduction of the veil of short-time work in sectors whose activity could restart. “The most difficult phase is ahead of us because we will have to get out of short-term unemployment. The State will continue to operate the system but without maintaining the current level of aid. The shock will therefore be very strong on the companies and on the employees», judge Raymond Soubie. Little by little, the employers affected by the crisis will have to financially insure the wages and expenses of the company without returning to a normal level of activity.
«Liquidity crises»
‘In this restart phase, companies could face real liquidity crises,’ warns Hector Arroyo, a restructuring partner at Baker Mckenzie.
At the time of the 2008 crisis, the safeguard plans had jumped and extended over nearly eighteen months. There were 1,052 in 2008 and 2,241 in 2009. This time, it is from the beginning of September that the death is expected. For companies already weakened, notably by the crisis of the «yellow vests» then by strikes against the reform of pensions, individual redundancies and social plans are difficult to circumvent. As proof, signs such as André, Naf Naf and Alinéa have already been placed in judicial redress. For its part, Renault is expected to hold a crisis meeting with the unions next Thursday. “As for the companies that have managed to maintain the bar thanks to State aid, they are waiting at least for the start of the new year before taking the decision to dismiss or not. They want to see if their activity will resume sufficiently and at what time», explains Deborah David, associate lawyer at De Gaulle Fleurance and partners.
The fact remains that the government, which has provided massive financial support, will certainly not rubber-stamp social plans. Quite the contrary. “Since the El Khomri law, economic redundancies are more flexible. However, companies that have received state aid may have to seriously justify their social plans,” warns lawyer Isabelle Mathieu. Aware of the risk, the Ministry of Labour is currently working on new arrangements upstream of PES to limit redundancies.
Pcas by prevention
For the time being, some companies are trying above all preventively to reorganise themselves to avoid heavy and costly redundancy procedures. And, ‘the Collective Performance Agreement (PCA) is the best tool to adapt to a cyclical crisis,’ says Deborah David. Provided for in the Penicaud ordinances, the Apcs signed to the majority of the unions offer the possibility to the companies to temporarily review the working conditions of the employees. With the APC, we can go down to the minimum wage but it never goes like that. Instead, we come to plane Rtts, increase the working time, or work a few holidays», explains Olivier Angotti, associate lawyer at FTMS.
“The economic dialogue will be key on the efforts to be made to maintain employment and it will be fundamental to know the intentions of employers, warned Marylise Léon, the Deputy Secretary General of the CFDT. And Esps have to be the last resort.” That’s what it says.
Source: Lefigaro/ By Manon Malhère and William Plummer
For about fifteen years, social networks have conquered every corner of our lives, interfering as well in private conversations as in family, school or professional dynamics. What was once a communication tool has become a prism through which many teenagers—but also adults — perceive the world. Far from being mere platforms for exchange, these digital spaces influence tastes, shape opinions and model behaviours. 11-year-old children frantically scrolling videos on TikTok, while grandparents comment on political debates on Facebook. This massive penetration into all the strata of society raises new questions, particularly about the ability of the youngest to evolve without danger. Faced with this new reality, Emmanuel Macron is sounding the alarm.
President Emmanuel Macron was very clear on France 2, on June 10, 2025: he wants to ban social networks for young people under 15 years old. And if there is no quick agreement at the European level, France could decide to go it alone. For him, we must act quickly. In his eyes, these platforms—Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok — have become much more than simple communication tools: they act as amplifiers of violence, confusion, and psychological distress.
He believes that this early exposure, from the middle school age, shapes a generation facing a brutalization of exchanges and a form of permanent emotional instability. This observation, shared by a growing number of observers, fuels its desire to implement strict regulation at the European level. And if Brussels delays, Paris might well act alone.
This radical proposal highlights a growing generational divide. Today’s teenagers are, according to Macron, the first to have grown up in this digital universe saturated with images, viral content, and incessant notifications. A generation connected from the cradle, which has not known a world without smartphones or ubiquitous Wi-Fi. Where adults have seen social networks as progress, the younger ones experience them as a norm, even a social necessity.
However, this digital normality leads to deleterious effects. Online harassment, addiction, overexposure to violent or pornographic content, permanent quest for social validation… the risks are multiple and often invisible to the eyes of parents. The idea of a mandatory minimum age, already under debate in several countries, takes on a strong political dimension here. By setting this framework, the president hopes to stop a spiral that he considers uncontrollable.
For Emmanuel Macron, this initiative cannot remain isolated. He asks the European Union to reach an agreement and set clear rules together. The question is now asked: should social networks be treated as sensitive products, on a par with alcohol or cigarettes? France seems ready to take this step, even if it means shaking certain digital freedoms. The president mentions a delay of ‘a few months’ to reach an agreement with the European partners. Without a coordinated response, he claims that France will act alone.
This stance raises as much hope as controversy. How to enforce such a ban technically? What responsibility for the platforms? Will teenagers find ways to get around the measure? If the challenge is immense, the head of state seems determined to lay the foundations for a new digital contract between young citizens and their digital environment.
By setting the bar at 15 years old, Emmanuel Macron is not content with reacting to a trend. He proposes a break. In a society where digital technology continues to move forward without restraint, it wants to impose a threshold, a safeguard, a time of pause to reflect on what growing up in the connected world really involves.
Source: The new tribune
The deep sea, which covers 54% of the oceans, remains largely unknown: only 5% have been explored. Yet, since 2022, 33 states have called for a precautionary pause in the face of deep-sea mining projects. This position is based on alarming scientific studies: the abyss shelters a unique biodiversity, plays a key role in climate regulation and their destruction would have irreversible consequences.
Under international law (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), deep seabed resources are a heritage of mankind, managed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Any exploitation outside this framework would be illegal. However, the polymetallic nodules, coveted for their rare metals, take millions of years to form – their extraction would therefore be unsustainable.
Mining would generate plumes of toxic sediments, threatening abyssal wildlife and the food chain. Deep ecosystems, essential for carbon storage, could be sustainably altered. Yet, their genetic resources could revolutionize medicine, agri-food or the fight against global warming.
At the United Nations Ocean Conference (Nice, 9-13 June), the signatory States (Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Palau, Panama, Peru[1], Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vanuatu.) request:
Strict compliance with international law;
The acceleration of scientific research;
A cautionary pause on deep-sea mining.
[1] The Republic of Peru is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Photo Credit: chasse-marée.com
On 9 June, the leaders of ten Mediterranean countries and the European Union met at the invitation of the French president for the summit “For a better connected Mediterranean”, on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference. The objective: to strengthen maritime, land and digital links between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Arabian-Persian Gulf, in response to the common challenges of the region.
The Mediterranean, which accounts for 25% of global maritime traffic, is seeing its states step up their ecological efforts. Since 1 May 2025, a SECA (low sulphur emissions) zone covers the entire Mediterranean, while ports such as Algeciras, Beirut and Marseille have committed to reducing their emissions through charging stations and alternative fuels. Croatia also announced a new green and automated terminal in Rijeka.
The European Commission recalled its financial commitment through the Global Gateway strategy, with 5.9 billion euros released for North Africa and the Middle East, capable of generating 27.2 billion in investments. The new Pact for the Mediterranean aims to consolidate economic and energy partnerships, particularly through the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor, supported by France.
Energy projects are multiplying: Saudi Arabia, France, Italy and Greece are studying collaborations on green hydrogen, while Cyprus and Greece are advancing on interconnections such as the GREGY cable (Egypt-Greece). The TeraMED initiative could also accelerate renewable energies in North Africa.
On the digital side, the EU presented Medusa, an undersea optical fibre network linking the two Mediterranean shores, while the digital hub in Aqaba (Jordan) strengthens regional technological influence.
