Nothing more can be done without the time

A little less than a year ago, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers revealed to the world the collapse of the market mortgage credits in the United States ("subprime") and the magnitude of the first global economic crisis. As entrepreneur, founder of the Auchan group, what look do you wear this crisis

Since the world is world, history is made of alternating boom times and periods of slowdown, or even regression. In the Bible already, it is written that the seven years of fat cows, the number 7 is symbolic of course, are followed by seven years of belt-tightening. And the text teaches that the wise man is one who plans to make provisions during the time of abundance to cope with the shortage. Nothing has changed. In the imprévision some or in the origin of the crisis. It lies in the attitude of those who are left to take by their greed without seeing the impact it would have on the rest of the world. They have forgotten one of the laws of life, which is that any effect comes from a cause and that any cause produces an effect.

Bankers was shown the finger to have, say some, rogue market capitalism, with notions of risk and profitability very remote fundamentals. Are, from your point of view, the disaster troublemakers

Some bankers and "traders" were taken by the spirit of greed and earned money by wasting their customers. The profession of bankers to lend money to companies so that they thrive, create jobs, step to play. Could tax jurisdiction, but if they have done so with knowledge of the cause, it can be said that, for them, it was "after me the flood! However, when everyone draws the cover itself, it cracks.

By default of ethics, corporate leaders do not have their share of responsibility

In fact, a number of officials, or irresponsible, have lost peasant sense, who wants to can only reap what they sowed. There cannot be sustainable if the product delivered is not sustainable and useful. Nothing more can be done without the time. When we want to go too fast, we're going right into the wall. "Time to venge of what have been without him," said my father. Thinking that it would be possible to maintain a real growth of 20 per year, doubling its size in four years and multiplying it by 5 in nine years, it was lack of foresight. The vision, what is right to expect mainly the leaders, it is namely assessing the cascading effects of the decisions they take. Look at the automotive industry: rather than build large vehicles off-road bulky and gourmet fuel, why have not imagined to redo a CV 2 with capote equipped with photovoltaic sensors This is an obvious lack of adaptability to the real needs of consumers. If my family had not established companies, in new trades to meet new needs, it have not created 300,000 jobs more than my father and his brothers in had created in the textile industry.

The crisis that plunged thousands of persons in distress has exacerbated the opinion on the remuneration of managers and shareholders. Do you understand the indignation

We have forgotten the sacred money value. Dematerialization of money, bank accounts and credit cards, there is for many. This loss of meaning led all these errors in the pay of leaders and some sports stars or other. When a President receives a further 30 times the minimum wage, it is completely unreasonable! And above all, this is not fair. Because he knows that this salary is taken to the staff of the company and consumers, who pay more expensive products. Generally, this crisis has also caused by a poor distribution of investment and income. This is true in the world, when we saw the emerging countries, rather than investing in their economy, placing their surpluses in mature countries. Not only they have slowed their own growth, but yet they boosted us artificially the prices of real estate and shares in the companies. An anecdote in the Morocco, I visited a Miller, of peasant origin. He has invested in a mill in Casablanca, but bought his wheat "on the boat" in Tangier, because "it was more practical," and invested its profits in Europe. This is not like this that the Morocco will continue to develop.

Must be a sustainable cycle: sustainable development, it is not only fight against climate change. He has long known that oil, coal have a limit. Sustainable development, is now inventing what mainstream tomorrow to meet the new needs. And this requires efforts of time and money.

You refer to Christian values to defend the "model" Auchan. In his third encyclical "Caritas in veritate", published early July, Pope Benedict XVI stresses that man is

"the first capital to preserve and promote". With your experience, what should be done to move in this direction

The Pope is right. Whether we like it or not, the man is at the centre of everything. It was he who will save the nature, not the reverse! He was also to save companies, not the opposite. It is the first capital to safeguard and promote. Development cannot be accomplished by the formation of man, by the recovery of the person. When I created Auchan in the 1960s, it was to improve the purchasing power of the textile workers with whom I worked for five years. Life was not easy. I wanted then quickly institutionalize the employee share ownership. From 1976, Auchan contributors have also become action partners. The calculation of the recovery of the company was then based simple, namely five times open cash the previous year. Thus, our collaborators fired benefit of their own performance, put this money, for then the reinvest it, most often in the purchase of their home, their children's education, or the complement of retirement. Make capitalist, make it efficient. My dream would be that each has one or two years of salary in its portfolio. From here, you are no longer a slave to your head, you can afford to tell him the truth. If men and women to be more effective, must be that their interest coincides with their duty.

What do you think of the rule of the thirds mentioned by the President of the Republic for the distribution of profits

Although three third party there: the consumer via price decreases, one for employees, and to invest and pay the capital. But it is not necessarily equal third three. Consider the distribution of value added. It must be remembered that by allowing the release of participation are destroyed the spirit of Economics and the meaning of the preparation of the next day. It thus tends to make future recipients.

You have always founded the development of your group on a sound financial basis. That you inspire our deficits and large national debt project

The rule in the group is that one should not borrow more than 1.5 to 2 times the future cash flow, and never more than ten years. It is regularly controlled. This has not prevented us to override for the redemption of Docks of France, but we've repaid more quickly than expected. Having a sound financial basis gives the freedom to undertake intelligently. As if to say a large national debt today is a good thing... Must know why you borrow. If it is to develop new productive tools for new energy technologies or new consumer needs, I find this effective, because the State find the increase in VAT revenue. If it is to create jobs without added value, it would sink for tomorrow, because it will take well one day repay the debt.

Your company has faced other crises. How have them you managed

I first stopped development, until the formation of all the staff find the result. If I learn to my son to read, write and count, it does not report immediately. It is the same for the training. Then, you need to know to listen to staff and clients. But this listening must lead to action. And if you fix the flaws before that one of your competitors do, activity resumes. If you are not educated to the perpetual renunciations, you do give up nothing and you break your figure! It also established a budget a "zero-based". For each type of action, it is asked the question: if it stops it, the company stops If not, it removed the. A number of things could be a time and no longer be. Or not to be all the time: a statistics can, for example, be useful once a year, but not every month. You need to know to question. It applies to all companies, all schools, the France also. Finally, we have implemented the quality circles which have enabled us to improve and come out stronger from the crisis.

Is our country better armed than others against the crisis

Undoubtedly, because it can live on itself! With its agriculture, fishing, animal production, in its energy sector, etc. Still should be that the media stop rehashing throughout the day everything that goes wrong. This eventually develop in the minds of people who are not directly concerned by this crisis a sense of themselves in difficulty. At the time, they use less, companies sell less, and this maintains the crisis. We must stop being afraid and talk about what goes and what creates. If all the world back to common sense, us even faster.

INTERVIEW BY ANTOINE BOUDET