Presidential elections: candidates’ views on beauty

Following the example of Medef, Cosmetic Valley and Febea organised a major debate bringing together representatives of seven candidates in the 2027 presidential election at the Cosmetic 360 trade fair. The aim was to question them about the future of the sector and challenge them on the key issues.

By

Sylvie Vaz

A major event for the sector at the start of the new season, Cosmetic 360 has always welcomed political figures – one recalls Emmanuel Macron, then Minister for the Economy, cutting the very first ribbon in 2015. The 2026 edition was no exception to this rule on 14 October, with Aurore Bergé, Minister of State for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination, in attendance to kick off the event. However, it took an unprecedented turn with a major debate organised by Cosmetic Valley and Febea, which put representatives of the main political parties that had put forward a candidate for the presidential election through their paces. The sector, through its competitiveness cluster and its federation, hopes to make its voice heard in this election year and to emphasise that this is not merely a matter of industrial issues, but also of “soft power and leadership”, according to Marc-Antoine Jamet, president of Cosmetic Valley.

Inspired by the event organised by Medef in late August, the organisers invited the same political parties: Horizons with Maël de Calan (chairman of the Finistère departmental council, representing Édouard Philippe), LR with Julien Chartier (director of research for Les Républicains and head of Bruno Retailleau’s programme), Renaissance with Philippe Englebert (National Secretary for Attractiveness and Foreign Trade, representing Gabriel Attal), LFI with Hugo Hanry (co-leader of La France Insoumise’s “ecological planning” working group, representing Jean-Luc Mélenchon), Place Publique with Sacha Houlié (MP for Vienne, spokesperson for Raphaël Glucksmann), RN with Kevin Mauvieux (Rassemblement National MP for Eure, representing Marine Le Pen) and Les Écologistes with Majdouline Sbaï (MEP, representing Marine Tondelier).

Following an introduction by the economist Sylvain Bersinger, founder of the consultancy Bersingéco, on the state of the perfumery and cosmetics sector in France – in which he highlighted existing challenges, such as recruitment and excessive red tape – the hearings began. The questions centred on three themes: defending France’s position in an increasingly intense global competitive environment; making Europe a driver of competitiveness for the sector; and, finally, manufacturing, investing and innovating in France. Each question was posed by business leaders from companies of varying sizes to reflect the sector’s diversity.

Contrasting visions

According to Emmanuel Guichard, General Secretary of Febea, this exercise “provides a platform for expression and brings together different visions for the sector’s future”. Modelling the Medef debate, each speaker had the opportunity to set out their candidate’s vision in just under a minute. The notion of ‘pride’ was raised by several representatives, and all defended the idea that the sector is important and must be supported. The most right-wing parties (RN, Les Républicains) have already announced their desire to remove numerous barriers, which, in their view, the industry from thriving; others claimed to be aware of deindustrialisation and Europe’s commercial naivety (Place Publique), asserted that France must guarantee a stable fiscal and regulatory framework (Renaissance) or be protected at European level (Les Écologistes), whilst also highlighting environmental concerns (LFI).

Each representative was then given just four minutes to answer questions, beginning with the topic of exports and the thorny issue of US tariffs. The positions on the US issue are unanimous and condemn the trade war waged by Trump. Whilst all agree that France must assert its voice on the international stage, the recommended approaches diverge, ranging from a sovereigntist strategy (LFI, RN) or even a regional one (LR), to the activation of the European anti-coercion mechanism to counter customs duties (Place Publique, Les Écologistes) or even European free-trade agreements that are neither naive nor unbalanced (Renaissance, Horizons).

The following two questions focused on regulatory issues, namely the water pollution control Directive and the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Without calling into question the “polluter pays” principle, all supported the need for a new impact assessment of the water pollution. They also commended the industry’s efforts on packaging issues, whilst acknowledging their importance. The representatives also emphasised the environmental dimension of The representatives also emphasised the environmental aspect of their candidates’ programmes, albeit with some nuances: a pro-business approach (Renaissance) or one that combines environmental policy with commercial strategy (Horizons), avoiding the excessive transposition of European standards into French law (LR), not indiscriminately dismantling environmental measures that are already effective (Place Publique), rejecting any ban without an alternative solution (RN), reducing pollution at source (LFI) and, finally, involving the relevant sectors more closely in European legislative work (Les Écologistes).

On the issues of administrative delays and recruitment difficulties, the candidates’ representatives have wavered between guaranteeing fiscal and regulatory stability (Place Publique, Renaissance) and deregulation (RN, LR). These same parties take varying stances on the issue of reducing, or even abolishing, production taxes. Industrial competitiveness is not up for debate, with a focus on investment (Horizon), but not at the expense of the environment (Les Écologistes). Finally, on employment, all support reforms to the education system and the revitalisation of vocational training (LFI). Some focus more specifically on apprenticeships (RN), on the needs of businesses – particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (Renaissance) – and on opportunities for integration into the labour market (LR).

When asked to conclude with a strong commitment to the sector, the candidates’ representatives were unable to sidestep the issue of public finances, with several assuring that they could address the issue without penalising the industry (LR, RN, Horizon). The desire for greater cooperation between businesses and public authorities was also put forward (LFI), going so far as to propose making the Head of State France’s chief sales representative (Renaissance). Finally, the restoration of French and European power, and of French and European sovereignty, was the final promise made at the end of the event (Les Écologistes, Place Publique).