We are about to experience a 100-year recession in Europe, with a drop in production of around 10 to 15% over 2020. This completely amazing situation will imply that, even before the day after, all stakeholders manage to get around the table, for the common good.
The “stakeholders” have traditionally been businesses, trade unions, consumers, NGOs. And since we recently rediscovered that our destiny had to fit into the living world, we must add scientists today, despite if it doesn’t necessarily please everyone …
All these actors must have a say, and be able to express their vision of the reconstruction to come, so as to help the policy makers in defining what is the general interest. They can do it according to their own traditions, distinct from one type of actor to another, but they must do it transparently.
“Transparency”: the word is dropped!
The media, Le Monde in particular, echoed recent initiatives, mainly in the form of letters, from AFEP, Medef and France Industrie, pushing the government and Brussels to “review their regulations in several areas, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions ”.
The fact that “employers” (in other words, the voice of business) wishes to take into account the current context in order to set up discussion calendars is not in itself a drama. If, by the way, he is trying to question legislation stemming from commitments made by France in terms of climate change, the environment or the circular economy, that deserves to be debated.
But to do this, it would be useful to have access to the documents in the file that constitute the disputed mails.
However, in their great understanding of situations, the incriminated interest groups prefer not to make them public. And suddenly, with intellectual honesty that could be challenged, the media comment on them in their own way.
Friends, this is not how we will get there!
For almost six years, I was responsible for Public Affairs – the politically correct word for lobbying – for a large CAC 40 company. On three occasions, my team was honored with the “Trophées du Droit”, a nice competition organized by the magazine Décideurs, for its efforts in terms of transparency.
IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!
- WE SAY WHAT WE THINK, PUBLICLY;
- WE BRING ARGUMENTS, PUBLICLY;
- THEN WE DEBATE, PUBLICLY.
And afterwards, public decision-makers define where is the general interest.
Camus makes Doctor Rieux say in La Peste, “Foolishness always insists”. Can’t we all try to be smart?
Iconography: The cheater with the ace of clubs, Georges de La Tour, circa 1630-1634, Oil on canvas, 98 x 156 cm © Forth Worth, Kimbell Art Museum
After working as an international banker for emerging countries, Laurent Lascols became global head of country risk / sovereign risk (from 2008 to 2013) then global director of public affairs (from 2014 to 2019) for Societe Generale. In 2021, he founded Aristote, an advisory firm and training organization dedicated to environmental economics, sustainable finance and impact finance.