Chillin'Competition

Endives have been a highlight of this blog.

They have become a presidential topic.

Last week, in a large-audience TV programme, N. Sarkozy discussed – and actually lambasted – the decision of the French competition authority (FCA). This comment was in reaction to a question by a woman in the audience, who complained that the FCA decision prevented agricultural producers to coordinate selling prices.

Here’s N. Sarkozy’s answer (quick and dirty translation):

The FCA “went a little to far … I would like agricultural producers to be able to sell at prices above production costs … hence one must define, with other production groups, what is an average production price … and the competition authorities must not consider this average production price as a restriction of competition“.

In clear, the price of veggies should be defined collectively amongst producers at a level > costs, and the competition watchdogs should not challenge this.

But there comes my preferred part. To conclude N. Sarkozy added, referring to the FCA officials:

“They must have the intelligence of understanding that were are not talking about Microsoft and Apple“.

Check the video above or here between 2:00:45′ and 2:01:57′.