To be wanting that can prevent says conventional wisdom

"To be wanting that can prevent", says conventional wisdom. Globalization is a fact. It is not an option, a way in which it was decided whether to join. Except to return to a State-controlled economy in which the former Soviet bloc has finished himself by abandon, we reached a near global consensus for the market economy. It involves political awareness and a minimum, the need for renovation of a number of our institutions, not to change the facade but to perpetuate the usefulness, or effectiveness, although the latter term may appear coarse in the eyes of some.

This is what, with Nicolas Sarkozy, has led us to add to the missions of the Datar, organization of prospective study of the development of the territory, a goal of competitiveness. Mutation in our view necessary, break even, which called a symbolic change of name. Thus was born the Diact (Interministerial delegation of development and competitiveness of territories) and, with the intrusion of the letter "c" in its title, the embryo of a polemic that clear not to arise. Indeed, during the budget discussion, left voices amounted in the Chamber to condemn what everyone agrees to be regarded as a success: the poles of competitiveness.

"Competitiveness" of the territories does not mean competition between them. On the contrary, it means put on an equal footing the territories to economic competition; It is a search of fairness which advocates active equality rather than passive. This is where the shoe pinches. Because the old moons of ideology still illuminate the minds of a few elected officials from left (including Ms Lebranchu in "Les Echos" from November 7) who, blinded by their beliefs, began to hear a fake trial at the poles of competitiveness, in which they see a challenge to the philosophy of the development of the territory. However, what is the idea behind this initiative "Booster" poles of activity based, of course, around urban areas, but to extend the territorial mesh of their activity, all ending with cover very large areas of the hexagon. Indeed, if we waive tracing these poles of competitiveness on the model of the "clusters" American or German, it is precisely to avoid the emergence of centres of production in industrial deserts.

It is, and within a year, and relayed by the general enthusiasm of the industrial community of all researchers, big as small business, we have accompanied the birth of 66 competitiveness clusters, which have already led 165 projects, helping more than 6,000 companies and one thousand of research centres, public or private. It must be very Socialist to deny this success success which Ms. Royal, perhaps more lucid than his friends, tries to capture, while advocating a strategy of conducted interference in concert by fellow Socialist region Presidents in the negotiation of contracts for the project. But the double game of Dr. Ségolène and Ms. Royal inevitably will eventually crack and the mask by fall.

In this same context of equality of opportunity, we engaged a major reform of public in rural areas, become this "public service" opportunity and we took the bet "all digital" with a national plan of resorption of the "white areas" which will have achieved its full end of 2007 and will soon cover the territory in Internet high flow rate and very high throughput. This is to enable companies, encouraged by various tax advantages, to settle permanently in the more remote areas.

Welcome to these reforms on the ground gave me the idea of the "poles of rural excellence' which the call for projects launched December 15, 2005, collected in two waves, more than 800 entries. The quality and the relevance of the projects, the enthusiasm of local actors have convinced the Prime Minister to bring the number of poles of excellence rural labelled, for an investment of the State of 210 million euros to 376. This is in line with the "Lisbon strategy", advocating among other criteria "competitiveness", that the France, governed seems to me by Lionel Jospin, has signed.

General momentum shows that French engineering is more lively than ever, and that our people is much more open to the reforms that this left permanently rooted in conservatism.