2021: The Year of Getting Back to Essentials

This article was first published on January 11, 2021, in French national daily newspaper Les Echos.

When we look back on 2020, it will always be linked with hardship. The year began with alarm and an unprecedented feeling of vulnerability that later gave way to weariness and anxiety, overturning our way of life, our lives themselves, and our convictions. It put our ability to overcome the unexpected to the test.

Each of us will remember the solidarity we felt during the first lockdown. But then the applause stopped. So did the support for “second line” workers. We can mourn the fact that our national unity was so short-lived; it would have been very helpful in dealing with the economic crisis. But we can also explain why. As the months went by, the public health situation went from shocking to normal. The dream of a more caring “post-pandemic world” was simply crushed by day-to-day reality.  

Beyond the recurring debate over which aspects of our society cannot be dispensed with — small businesses, arts and culture — many of us yearned to get back to basics, or in other words, to the essentials. The pandemic reminded us that health and the human and social connections we once took for granted, especially with our elders, were in fact terribly fragile. Choosing a healthier lifestyle, sustainable, “traceable” foods, and simple pleasures became vital to counteract widespread feelings of powerlessness, uncertainty, and depression. Nature became a mainstay in fending off the prevailing chaos.

This enthusiasm for getting back to the fundamentals shouldn't stop with individuals. Collectively reconnecting with what's essential is what we need to overcome this crisis and repair our badly damaged social fabric.

Good sense is essential. When confronted with the urgency of the first lockdown, caregivers, regional communities and businesses showed an impressive ability to adapt. “System D” worked. The government was our last line of defense against the collapse of entire segments of the economy. The challenge now is to loosen the stranglehold of regulations and allow economic recovery. The rules governing the job market must be adapted to the reality of the modern economy and key players’ expectations. Let's applaud the steps taken to facilitate voluntary territorial mobility between companies, such as the external mobility platforms initiated by the Collective of French Companies in Favor of a More Inclusive Economy, a group founded at the height of the Yellow Vests [Gilets Jaunes] movement. Measures like these are vital to meet the needs of high-demand sectors and support the industries that have suffered most during the pandemic. In 2021, I hope we will regain the power to take action.  

Confidence is also essential. The ability of public authorities to be persuasive, particularly regarding the importance of vaccination campaigns, will be a determining factor. They can count on stakeholders on the ground, both public and private, to support recovery. Stakeholders ask only to be trusted to work together and find the most appropriate solutions.

Finally, boldness is essential. The pandemic slammed the brakes on the economy while simultaneously acting as a powerful trend accelerator. It will take courage to meet the challenges of the economic crisis, the social divide, environmental emergencies, digital transformation and changing consumption patterns. These are all opportunities to make progress on issues that will shape our future, if public and private players can work together to seize them. Success will depend on our ability to welcome change and embrace transformation. 

2020 will go down in history as a dark and difficult year. But it has forced us to ask ourselves what is truly essential for us, for our society, and for building our common future. Let's hope that, in 2021, we won't forget.