Strengthen the CEM rather than create a local MEDEF

On March 12, Bruno Blandin, president of Medef Guadeloupe, visited Saint-Barthélemy to meet with the island’s business leaders at a gathering organized by the Multiprofessional Economic Chamber (CEM) in Saint-Jean. On Friday, April 24, the CEM once again invited entrepreneurs to discuss the possibility of creating a Saint-Barth branch of Medef (Mouvement des entreprises de France, the French employers’ union). Direct and constructive discussions quickly ensued, following a presentation noting that the CEM already provides “about 95% of what Medef offers.”
“The idea isn’t to have institutions piling up on top of one another,” said one business leader. “We already have a very proactive tool in the CEM; we don’t need the MEDEF,” added another. In fact, the discussions focused more on possible ways to grant greater independence and autonomy to the CEM rather than on the creation of a local MEDEF.
To achieve this, the idea of an annual membership fee to free the CEM (a territorial public institution created by the Collectivité, for the record) from its reliance on territorial subsidies was proposed. This is to avoid, as happened in 2024, a proposal for statutory changes being rejected by local elected officials. On this point, Mélissa Lake, territorial councilor and chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, responds: “We’ve been working on these statutes for four years. We recognize the need for change and are open to discussion. This is about co-creation.” A business leader insists: “We need to build upon what already exists.” Notably to better address specific issues.
Such as the one mentioned several times during the meeting: work stoppages deemed “abusive” by employers. To this end, the creation of “monitoring mechanisms” is proposed. On terms yet to be established. Other needs are listed: strengthening legal and labor court representation, and greater defense of economic interests, for example. For the CEM, one thing is clear: the Chamber must become the sole and legitimate representative of the island’s businesses. The “imported model” of the MEDEF should therefore be left at the door. The CEM must now embark on its transformation with even greater determination.