Taxis versus VTC. This time already seems distant but this showdown was one of the highlights of François Hollande’s five-year term on the economic side. In the space of a few months, the French were able to discover to what extent a regulated profession such as taxis could be overtaken by the arrival of a new entrant, Uber, eager to impose market deregulation. To achieve this, they were able to count on the benevolence of the Minister of the Economy at the time, a certain Emmanuel Macron, with whom the leaders of the company established very frequent contact.
This is revealed by a massive leak of internal documents from the American company, processed by our colleagues from Le Monde and France Info, who do not hesitate to speak of a “deal”, the very words used at Uber, between the company and the Minister.
In October 2014, Emmanuel Macron has only occupied his offices in Bercy for a few weeks. He is part of a government that, until now, has always been wary of Uber. He then meets four directors of the American company. They come out delighted, reports Le Monde, which has had access to reports. “In a word: spectacular. Unheard of, writes Mark MacGann in one of them. A lot of work to come, but we will soon be dancing ;)” “Meeting mega top with Emmanuel Macron this morning. France loves us after all”.
Amendments drafted and delivered turnkey by Uber
According to our colleagues, this meeting marked the beginning of a privileged relationship between Uber and Emmanuel Macron. The daily lists at least 17 direct exchanges (meeting, call, SMS) in the 18 months following his appointment at Bercy. At the time, the company was heavily criticized for launching its UberPop service, which allowed anyone to become an Uber driver. The documents show that Emmanuel Macron will embrace the cause of Uber, advising the company to draft amendments to entrust them turnkey to a deputy seeing Uber with a good eye. The idea is not that the amendment in question be adopted, but that its proposals enter the public debate to make them pass more easily by decree.
When decisions upset Uber leaders, they systematically turn to the minister. This is true when DGCCRF agents show up at Uber France headquarters. This is still true when Laurent Nunez, then police chief of Marseille, issues an order prohibiting Uber over a large part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Mark MacGann, Uber’s chief lobbyist, picks up his phone. “Minister, we are appalled by the prefectural decree in Marseille”. Emmanuel Macron promises him to “look at this personally”. Three days later, the decree falls, even if Laurent Nunez affirms that the prefecture acted thus after having realized that the decree was illegal.
An assumed support
The story published by our colleagues from Le Monde even evokes a “deal” between Emmanuel Macron and the American company. This one would be simple to understand: Macron would propose a “drastic” simplification of the conditions necessary to obtain a VTC license in exchange for the suspension of the UberPop service. If Uber denies the existence of a deal concluded with the current President of the Republic, some exchanges however make explicit reference to it. This was the case on July 3, 2015 during an exchange between Travis Kalanick and Emmanuel Macron. “Can we trust caz (Bernard Cazeneuve, the Prime Minister at the time) ? writes Travis Kalanick. “We had a meeting yesterday with the Prime Minister, responds Emmanuel Macron. [Bernard] Cazeneuve will make sure the taxis stay calm and I will bring everyone together next week to prepare the reform and correct the law. Caz accepted the deal. When are you in Paris? »
Three days later, Uber deactivated its UberPop service. Contacted by Le Monde, the Elysée reacts by affirming that Emmanuel Macron has only occupied his classic functions as minister. At the time, the minister also explained his support for Uber. “We see this with the example offered by Uber in the Paris region: people who are often victims of exclusion choose individual entrepreneurship because for many young people today, it is easier to find a customer than to find an employer,” he said in an interview with Le Monde.
Asked about the risks of an uberization of the economy, Emmanuel Macron then assumed: “Our choice is to open up our economy and create more social mobility. »