With a general strike looming on October 2, the French employers' federation ( Medef) is announcing a major employers' rally on October 13, 2025 in Paris, as confirmed by Patrick Martin on his way out of Matignon on Wednesday September 24. The meeting is intended as a direct response to the tax proposals that French employers consider worrying, notably the notorious Zucman tax. The event, scheduled for 2:30pm, is intended to mobilize "a very large number of employer organizations", according to the president of the Mouvement des Entreprises de France.
The announcement of this gathering comes in a tense context surrounding the budget debates for 2026. In mid-September, Patrick Martin had already warned of a "major employer mobilization" if corporate taxes were to rise. This threat now takes concrete form with the October 13 date, which coincides with parliamentary discussions on the tax guidelines for the future budget.
The employers' mobilization is a reaction to the proposals put forward by the parliamentary left, in particular the Zucman tax. This measure, adopted by the National Assembly in February 2025 but rejected by the Senate in June, aims to introduce a minimum tax of 2% on assets in excess of 100 million euros. It would affect around 1,800 tax households in France, and could bring in between 15 and 25 billion euros, according to its promoters.
For Patrick Martin, these "dangerous theories" are a direct threat to French entrepreneurship. He is particularly critical of the inclusion of business assets in the calculation of this tax, unlike the former ISF, which exempted work tools. "I don't know how to dance the Zucmania, and I don't intend to," he quipped at the BIG event organized by Bpifrance.
Support from other representative employers' organizations remains mixed. While Patrick Martin refers to a gathering of "all employers' organizations", the reality seems more nuanced. Michel Picon, president of U2P (Union des entreprises de proximité), has already announced that he will not be taking part in the meeting. He criticizes the Medefpresident for not having "taken care to ensure that his partners did not discover this announcement in the press".
The CPME (Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), headed by Amir Reza-Tofighi, has adopted a more cautious stance. Its president confirms that "there is currently anger among business leaders who feel they are being caricatured in the public debate", but specifies that he will consult his authorities before giving a definitive answer.
This mobilization comes at a time of major political uncertainty. Since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, French employers have regained a more assertive voice in public debate. Employers' organizations see an opportunity to exert greater influence on political decisions, particularly on tax issues.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who received employers' representatives at Matignon on Wednesday, faces a delicate balancing act. He has to deal with a fragmented Assembly, where the Socialist Party holds the power of censure over the budget, while maintaining dialogue with the economic world. Patrick Martin praised "the Prime Minister's willingness to listen", while expressing his deep concerns.
The challenge for Medef is to demonstrate that French companies, which employ 12 million people according to the organization, are already making a significant contribution to the general interest. This demonstration of strength on October 13 is intended to counter the image of "shareholders thirsty for dividends and indifferent to the general interest" that Patrick Martin denounces.
The coming weeks will be decisive in striking a balance between the State's budgetary imperatives and the demands of the business world. The October 13 meeting will undoubtedly mark a turning point in employers' ability to influence the Lecornu government's fiscal guidelines.
