François de Canson: “La Région Sud reaffirms its support for Var businesses”

On the occasion of the New Year's address ceremony of the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Var, François de Canson, representing Renaud Muselier, the president of La Région Sud, drew up a lucid assessment of the economic situation while displaying a voluntarist optimism. Facing an audience of business leaders, he highlighted the crucial role of entrepreneurs, describing the business as “one of the last places of solidity in our society”. The vice-president of the Region assured them: “It is because we all know here – that the business has become one of the last places of solidity in our society, one of the last spaces where responsibility, commitment, transmission, and projection into the future still come together.

We are going through a period of great instability. At the international level, global trade rules are tightening, balances are shifting, and geopolitical tensions are becoming long-term. They weigh on energy, supply chains, exports, and investment.

None of this is abstract: it translates concretely, here, in your order books, in your margins, in your decisions. At the national level, political uncertainty, fiscal instability, the permanent temptation of additional regulations or easy taxes weaken confidence. And when confidence is weakened, it is always the entrepreneurs who pay first.”

CLIMATE OF UNCERTAINTY François de Canson also noted a state of exhaustion in a climate of uncertainty. Indeed, his speech laid out an uncompromising diagnosis of the current difficulties: “Between geopolitical tensions weighing on supply chains and national political instability, entrepreneurs' confidence is being severely tested. François de Canson shared an alarming figure, revealing the pressure faced by leaders: 66% of business owners now declare themselves exhausted, compared to 40% just two years ago.”

He insisted on the fact that behind these statistics are “women and men under tension” and investments that are sometimes postponed.

François de Canson : “La Région Sud réaffirme son soutien aux entreprises du Var”

“Because, despite headwinds, signals exist. In Europe, some major economies are regaining industrial momentum. In France, as a major contractor, with nearly €400 million in annual public procurement, 80% of which benefits regional businesses.

Proof of his desire for dialogue, the regional mobility payment rate was halved after consultation with businesses,” insisted François de Canson.

inflation is falling, the capacity for innovation remains strong, and the transitions underway are beginning to yield results. And above all, here in the Var and in Région Sud, the fundamentals are solid. Economic activity is resisting better than elsewhere.

Strategic sectors are powerful. Industry is holding up. The maritime, tourism, defense, health, and energy economies continue to irrigate the territory with great prospects,” he added.

He detailed regional action, embodied by the VALEURS (Vision, Autorité, Liberté, Europe, Respect, Souveraineté) plan, which translates into concrete acts. In 2025, the Region has thus mobilized €120 million for businesses in the department to invest, modernize, and innovate.

“La Région Sud is also positioning itself MAJOR PROJECTS According to him, the economic future of the Var revolves around powerful sectors such as defense, maritime, tourism, or health. To support them, the Region launched in December the Opération d'Intérêt Régional (OIR) Défense, endowed with €500 million to sustainably structure the industrial sector. Thus, he bet on the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, presented as an immediate “economic reality”.

A major event will be held on March 25 to present the precise mapping of the €2 billion in purchases planned by the Comité d'Organisation (COJOP) and the SOLIDEO. The objective, according to François de Canson, is to “give Var businesses the ability to anticipate, position themselves, and win”.

Finally, praising the work of the president of the CCI du Var, Basili Gertis, he mentioned the stabilization of the future of the commercial port of Toulon as a “signal of confidence in the future”. The final message, on behalf of Renaud Muselier, was one of intact ambition for 2026, assuring that La Région Sud would be “there, alongside businesses, alongside the Var”.