Polytechnique X-Alternative, a group of former students from an elite French school of engineering, and Intérêt général, a think tank consisting of civil servants, academics, and social movement workers, have published the first of two documents about how France could plan its industrial development. The document, written in French, explains why the country’s industrial policy does not meet the population’s needs, discusses the history of planning in France, explains how industrial policy currently serves capital’s interests, and outlines the principles on which industrial planning should be based.
Here’s a translation of a part of the presentation of the document:
This note presents an unprecedented description of the French industrial situation and its policies, putting the question of meeting needs back at the center of the analysis. Proposals are put forward for a shift towards an industry geared to responding to needs and to the current challenges of sovereignty and ecological transition. (…) Drawing on the example of the Commissariat général au plan, and aware of its limitations in applying it to the current situation, we propose to build new policies around the planning method, with the aim of responding to the needs of the country and its inhabitants.
The document can be downloaded for free here: https://interetgeneral.net/notes/episode-i-repenser-lindustrie-et-ses-politiques-S6skrmQcQgKvWE0llY941Q