Brexit!!!!! I love British humour. But not all British people make me laugh

Prepare an editorial on Brexit. Uncertainty!!!!! An editorial to be published in our October 2019 edition! We are not immune to a last-minute turn of events. Do we still dare?

Honestly, what is the risk I'm taking? I may have to rewrite my paper right before it is published, for example? That is nothing. Absolutely nothing at all compared to the risk that has arisen and continues to arise for industrialists today. The transformation of an economic model is not an easy task. An unexpected decision which would undoubtedly be announced in a (whimsical and) theatrical way, a last-minute turn of events could be fatal to some of them.

Because these industrialists – those companies which contribute to producing value every day, by manufacturing... those companies which contribute to producing added value every day, by transforming... those companies which contribute to the GDP of each of our countries... those companies... they are not on a theatre stage, to play (with bad actors) a bad caricature of political apocalypse whose scenario seems to be written over the days as in a TV series.

Industry actors do not play the theatre. They have played and are playing hard to reorganize their production tools, to redirect their investments, to other factories, other countries, for other hires, other modes of supply and other logistics circuits, on a European scale, but also worldwide. So of course, one knows and will be able to evaluate what all this will have cost the big and giant companies: costs in strategic thinking, costs in human resources, costs in financial capital, etc. Not to mention the cost of time to explain to the... British government. Well, I mean... to the British government that got out last summer. Because it seems that the current government (in power since July 24) prefers to turn a deaf-ear to the issue rather than hear about the industrial and economic issues of Brexit. Challenges for Europe, but especially for our British friends, for that matter.

Among the major European industrials, the members of the ERT (European Round Table) represent all industries: aeronautics, automotive, food, pharmaceuticals, energy, electronics, telecommunications, etc., not to mention freight transport of course... For them to be recognised, I probably do not need to recall their names here. Some of them have been in the headlines since the beginning of the year, before and after March 29, then... April 12... May 22... June 30... As a reminder, we are now aiming for October 31 for a Brexit (probably without agreement with Europe – "Bojo will then probably go to the United States and China to find money", some say). Almost indifferent to "Mr. Bojo" (Boris Johnson) who is whimsical and unpredictable, the industrial companies have been able to prepare. Pragmatic and rational, industrialists have been working on it for a long time. Including for an outing without agreement. This would probably be the worst option from an economic and social point of view, but possible.

That said, around the big and giant companies, many SMEs and VSEs must and will still have to invest in the change linked to Brexit... For them, the task is more difficult than for the giants. Uncertainties! We still don't know where we're going. Many things can still change. However, for some of these SMEs (you know? these small and medium-sized enterprises which represent the majority of jobs and exports?) the capacity to detach human resources and invest in the necessary projects to adapt to Brexit is not always equal to the challenge. Yet, to plagiarize a Chinese proverb known to us: "The ideal time to plant the seed and have a tree was twenty years ago; the second good time is now." We often get a second chance. So, let's keep our heads and move on.

••• Bruno FORGUE

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