One Year From Presidential Election, Cercle des économistes Offers 14 Proposals for Candidates

With the French presidential election just a year away, the Cercle des économistes has put forth 14 proposals aimed at shaping the platforms of potential candidates. These recommendations, presented at the Economic Meetings of Aix-en-Provence, focus on youth empowerment, international cooperation, and economic strategy.

A central proposal is the creation of a €10,000 "investment capital" for every young French citizen upon reaching adulthood. This fund would be financed through inheritance taxes. The group also suggests implementing annual career counseling sessions and allowing students to switch between general, vocational, or technological tracks more easily, ensuring greater flexibility in educational pathways.

Furthermore, the Cercle des économistes calls for a reform of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (Cese) to ensure better representation for young people, proposing a quota of 50% of its members be under 35 years old. This initiative aims to give younger generations a stronger voice in policy-making.

On a European level, the organization supports a policy of specialization, where each EU member state would become a leading country in a specific strategic sector. Examples include France focusing on nuclear energy, the Netherlands on semiconductors, Ireland on data centers, and Estonia on cybersecurity. They also urge for more effective mobilization of European savings, currently held by an aging, risk-averse population, to boost investment in the technology sector, suggesting tax incentives for life insurance policies linked to sovereign tech investments.

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France on nuclear energy, the Netherlands on semiconductors, Ireland on data centers, Estonia on cybersecurity... Each of the EU member states would become the reference country for a strategic sector.