The publication in Le Monde of “Uber files”, internal documents revealing the methods of the American platform Uber to develop abroad, highlighted more than detestable means. From these documents entrusted by former lobbyist Mark Macgann to the British daily The Guardian and to the members of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, of which Le Monde is involved, emerges a heavy perfume of scandal.
The stunned reader takes note of the thug methods used by business officials to achieve their end: bypassing law rules, appeal to civil disobedience, fostering of force with, in parallel, a powerful Lobbying action with economists and politicians open to their cause.
Enivided by the billions of dollars raised in the early 2010s, self-investigation of the messianic mission to change the world of work by digitization, the start-up has believed above laws, states and regulations. An access to Hubris that Travis Kalanick, the toxic entrepreneur who was at his head, had ended up paying. He had to leave the management of the company in 2017.
These revelations fueled the controversy in France. The Nuts strongly implicated Emmanuel Macron, who was then Minister of the Economy of François Hollande and had, as such, favored the establishment of the company in France. Insoumise France invoked a “state scandal” and claimed the unlikely convocation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry. In return, the head of state said he was “extremely proud” to have “shaken the established order” to create jobs, and he accused the left of having “lost the compass”.
Hussar installation
The fact that Emmanuel Macron helped the company to set up when he was Minister of the Economy cannot surprise anyone. The monopoly of taxis has long been in its sights. He had studied the perverse effects within the framework of the Commission for the release of French growth, entrusted to Jacques Attali in 2008, and of which he had been the deputy general rapporteur. The customer service left more and more to be desired and the organized taxi shortage prevented job creations, even though manifest needs existed. He was not the Prime Minister of the Economy to want to put an end to this situation, he had to dare. He had found with Uber an ally, but an ally without faith or law.
Today, the latter is still looking for a satisfactory economic model. Its drivers are too often underpaid, poorly protected, but jobs have been created, especially in the suburbs, and taxi companies have significantly improved their customer service. The assessment of this installation at the Hussarde is therefore sufficiently nuanced to disqualify the cookie-cutting trials.
On the other hand, the “Uber files” highlight obviously: the need for better supervision of lobbying activities. It is essential to protect by increased transparency elected officials and governments against pressure from powerful actors. The health of our democracy is at stake. The last report of the European Commission on the rule of law, which strongly invites France to do much better in the matter, does not say something else.