A Sarko/Ségo Debate on Competition Policy
Most of you are aware that a face-to-face debate between Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy took place two days ago (and turned, in my opinion, to the advantage of the latter...). Unsurprisingly, no room for competition policy in a wide-audience TV debate. But the two candidates have nonetheless, under the impetus of the Revue concurrences, exhanged views on competition policy (not a proper debate, but interviews on a similar questionnaire). Here's just a taste (link to the interviews can be found below).
On the Goals of Competition Policy
Royal:
"I defend a competition policy that benefits primarily to the consumer";
"competition policy is complementary to policies seeking to increase wages and pensions, in that it contributes to increasing consumers' purchasing power";
Sarkozy:
Healthy competition is essentially "competition 'on the merits' as you specialists name it: the inventive and efficient operator must be rewarded for its efforts."
Competition is a win-win game ... for the worker and the entrepreneur, it is a source of employment and wealth, for the consumer, it optimizes the quality and prices of goods and services placed on the market.
On Liberalization Policies
Royal:
[In substance] Liberalization policies have, often brutally, been applied as a dogma. Prices in liberalized sectors have increased, an ex post assessment of their efficiency would be needed.
Sarkozy:
[In subtance] In favor of liberalization policy, but more pedagogy is needed to help convince and reassure consumers. Also, liberalization policies should be envisioned under a wider angle: in the field of energy, for instance, environmental and strategic issues should be adressed altogether with liberalization, within a 'framework' European energy policy.
On the so-called National Champions
Royal:
[In substance] Commission should pay more attention to the international competitiveness of European firms, when applying its powers (especially in the field of merger control). Commission has been so far to "dogmatic", ignoring imperatives of industrial policy.
Sarkozy:
[In subtance] Europe should be softer and more flexible in the field of merger control, when it comes to transactions between important European firms. What's at stake is the constitution of strong European champions, which will be able to stand firm in the face of the increasing international pressures arising from globalization.
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