The French President, Emmanuel Macron wants tougher rules for foreign workers in their own country. So he provokes the Eastern Europeans: they fear disadvantages.
Warsaw and Budapest are not. The President of France, Macron speaks on Wednesday evening, in Salzburg, with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and then he still travels to Romania and Bulgaria. The Eastern European countries of Poland and Hungary, one seeks in vain on the presidential Agenda these days. And this seems to be a political calculus.
In the presidential tool box Emmanuel Macron is not to get the most out of it this time large, a state man. The goal of his Eastern Tour is less, to make Europe-weary Eastern Europeans ardent EU Fans. Therefore, no large historical Cutlery, not a dispute with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, not a strict visit, the Polish government head Beata Szydlo. The President search is simply the contact to Eastern European States, the “desire for the EU and its deepening” would, according to the Elysée Palace this just.
After Prague and Bratislava, he travels as a French statesman. French. It comes to campaign promises, the EU posting of workers Directive. What wood sounds, is a highly emotional topic between Eastern and Western Europe. The French in particular – whether left, center or right to talk bad on the Europe-wide agreement on cross-border provision of services.
Foreign workers in France, to earn more, and shorter stay
From the perspective of French trade-Union CGT (Conféderation générale du travail) is to a large part of the blame on social dumping. Posted workers from the East displaced the French from the domestic labour market, so the common complaint. Were affected, according to the CGT, especially industries such as construction, Abattoirs, building cleaning and the care sector.
Foreign workers have to go home quicker
France’s unemployment rate is 9.6, while just under ten per cent in the last autumn slipped, but the word of the labour market, all by pressing the back. France’s new government does not intend, therefore, to lose time. Emmanuel Macron wants to tighten the rules for foreign workers in their own country. EU foreigners would have to be according to the same conditions as domestic. Accordingly, not only the minimum wage should apply to these workers the standard wage,.
Further from the point of view of the Elysée Palace for the necessary amendment: The posting duration. Currently, a posted worker must return to work after 36 months in its original member state of the EU. Brussels is already working on a proposal for a maximum of only 24 months. The French President, this is still too long, he advertises for a maximum duration of one year for posted workers.
The unemployment rate in France is 9.6 percent
He wanted a “Europe that protects citizens better,” so a key point in his election campaign “We fight against the abuses in the sector, the posted workers and the need to define the rules in our country to make conclusion with any Form of unfair competition”, Macron in March of this year. Now he wants to deliver.
Test for Macron
But to do this he must get up close and personal with the East. For the sensitive topic, he needs direct contact person in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as in Romania and Bulgaria. As for his intention to be properly political wind. “France has made proposals that go in our opinion clearly too far”, about the Czech labour Minister Michaela Marksova in June know. You, with your attitude alone. In the last year of the ten Central and Eastern European parliaments in the EU Commission, the controversial escalation is a protectionist measure, to the detriment of posted workers.
For President of the Macron of the dispute to the EU posting of workers Directive is a first Test of how much political Power the Europeans are willing to him instead. Whether it is a wise move to annoy the Eastern Europeans and to the EU countries such as Poland, on the left. In Poland, with almost half a Million workers at the top of the Postings, there would have been worthwhile having a conversation with Warsaw.