Paris, 09. 13. 2026
“At the Made in France fair this Friday, Dominique de Villepin met producers and craftspeople. Their conversations highlighted the importance of French expertise, local jobs and economic sovereignty, alongside the demands of responsible consumption.”
This Friday, Dominique de Villepin visited the Made in France fair to meet producers and craftspeople. Across their conversations, the same concerns emerged: preserving skills, supporting local jobs and strengthening the country’s economic sovereignty. Listening to him, one understands that making things in France also means having the means to shape the country’s future.
Behind every product is a trade, a skill passed down, a workshop still running. This expertise develops over years, yet it can disappear when a business closes or there is no one to take over. Preserving it requires a lasting commitment: investing, training and enabling those who possess these skills to pass them on.
Economic sovereignty takes on a practical meaning here: meeting the country’s needs while retaining the freedom to make its own decisions. His conversations with exhibitors reveal a recurring concern: keeping the skills and capacity to manufacture in France. This means supporting businesses, training the next generation and gaining greater control over supply chains, while continuing to trade and cooperate with the rest of the world.
Whether he is speaking with a beef producer from Corrèze or a soft toy manufacturer, the importance he places on local jobs becomes clear. When a business stays, apprentices can learn a trade, families can continue living in the area, and shops can keep their customers. Around a workshop or a farm, a whole community continues to thrive. This is also what visitors discover at the fair: people whose work sustains the places where they live.
Buying French-made goods can contribute to this effort. But consumers need to know what they are buying: where the raw materials come from, where and under what conditions a product was made, and how long it is expected to last. Trust is earned through clear information and commitments that can be verified. Price matters too. Many people want to support French manufacturing but cannot always afford to. That reality must be taken into account, without asking consumers to shoulder responsibility for the future of industry on their own.
The visit brings together issues often discussed separately: sovereignty, work, the passing on of skills and responsible consumption. Through encounters with producers, these questions acquire a human face and become part of everyday life. Which trades should be preserved? What opportunities should be available to young people entering them? And how can quality products be made accessible to everyone? The future of Made in France also depends on the answers to these questions.
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A friendly exchange. Dominique de Villepin continues the conversation among visitors at the Made in France fair, Porte de Versailles, Paris, November 13, 2026.
A friendly exchange. Dominique de Villepin continues the conversation among visitors & Producteurs at the Made in France fair, Porte de Versailles, Paris, November 13, 2026.©klarabudapost.com