On franceinfo, the minister details the industrial rebound, announces future European protections and mentions Duralex and Michelin.
In an economic context marked by slumping consumption, rising unemployment and record debt, the industry represents good news. This is the message defended by the Minister for Industry Sébastien Martin, Tuesday June 9, 2026, guest of Franceinfo’s political guest presented by Alix Bouilhaguet. According to him, the industry “avoids recession” and can become the “main engine of growth”. He cited the latest data: +1% growth in March and +0.4% in April, which he attributes to the “new nuclear policy”, the “electrification plan” – concerning 6,000 factories and 600,000 employees – and the defense sector.
A rebound that the minister considers solid
Faced with the question of a structural or cyclical recovery in sectors such as chemicals, plastics, glassmaking, refining, equipment and transport other than automobiles, he considered that the movement was “broad” and underlined the resilience of the industry.
The minister illustrated his remarks with territorial perspectives. In Burgundy-Franche-Comté, “thousands of recruitments” are underway in the nuclear sector, and in Cotentin, 6,000 additional industrial jobs are planned by 2030 around defense and nuclear power. For him, reindustrialization is “not just a promise, it is a necessity”: between 2005 and 2015, more than a million industrial jobs were destroyed in France, while between 2018 and 2024, 180,000 jobs were recreated.
Michelin, Duralex: the question of competitiveness
Asked about the loss of 1,500 jobs announced by Michelin in France and the cost of producing tires “twice as expensive” in Europe as in Asia, he rejected the idea of a structural problem of competitiveness. According to him, INSEE corrected its errors to place France in the European average, particularly on the quality of the workforce. He attributed the difficulties to Chinese imports charging prices “lower than the costs of the material” and assured that, since his arrival, 16 protection measures at European level have been initiated, with measures to come for tires.
On the case of Duralex, once again facing financial difficulties despite previous support from the State, Sébastien Martin indicated that the government “looks” at the reasons for the situation before drawing conclusions. He considered that the legal form – SCOP or SA – was not decisive, insisting on the need for an “industrial vision”, a mobilized “management team”, a solid “business plan” and a clientele to ensure the sustainability of a company.
