The French Recovery Plan: Investment for the Future?

ABSTRACT

From the onset of the crisis in spring 2020, the French government put in place significant support measures for companies and the working population to cope with the Covid-19 epidemic. These were extended or expanded during the second lockdown in autumn. Beyond short-term measures, however, given the severity of the economic and social crisis that has accompanied the health emergency and will continue for long years to come, in September 2020 the government also established a 100 billion euro Recovery Plan for the French economy. That plan has three main strands ecology, competitiveness and social cohesion. Does it match up to the future challenges French society will face? Pierre Papon examines that question in this forum, mainly from the angle of the scientific and technological challenges. After outlining the substance and the beneficial features of the Recovery Plan, he highlights a number of aspects that are either poorly dealt with or not covered at all. This prompts him to envision a number of complementary measures to ensure that preparations for the future are as sound as possible.