In April 2009, Nicolas Sarkozy decided to lower the VAT in the catering business from 19.6 to 5.5 %. This apparently technical and economical measure turned out to be eminently political and perfectly symbolic of a way of governing: no discussion, mass communication, and total submission to lobby groups. This tactic by the French president, the great magician, caused 3 billion euros to disappear from the state's coffers annually, without there being any kind of deep reflection or parlimentary debate about a sector that is such an important part of the country's economy. And this at a time when public deficits are colossal. Simplistic reasoning, lies by omission, absence of an overall view and of long-term thinking, a dangerous slide is underway. Bombarded by communication and the president's constant agitation, people are encouraged to forget. But a restaurant owner has decided to challenge this decision. Strengthened by his citizen's rights and his exceptional success in the restaurant business, Xavier Denamur has set out on a singular struggle: to challenge a key decision of the Sarkozy era. This film chronicles his fight for the catering business to rediscover sound food sense, along with its organic connection to the agricultural and farming worlds at last aware that public health is at stake. This fight is also an occasion to think about the state of the French republic.
