The speech was highly anticipated. Just before I attended the tradition of the military défilé sur les Champs-Elysées, in a strategic context that marked the return of the war in Europe, Emmanuel Macron gave the premiere televised interview of the second quinquennat at the time of the national fête du 14- July. It is only the second time, after 2020, that the Head of State returns to this tradition respected by his predecessors.
• The army budget will not decrease, “on the contrary”
By way of introduction, the President of the Republic returned to the Ukrainian situation. He took the opportunity to praise the French army, “a strong army, the first in Europe and one of the most reactive”, adding that it was “equipped with nuclear deterrence” and “prepared” for any eventuality.
“France is not attacked on its soil. It has the means to help Ukraine, to protect itself, to help its allies. What we need to keep doing is reinvesting all of our inventory and capabilities, keep hiring and keep investing.”
“We have an army that is ready, we have repaired a lot,” said the president, who assures that France “will always be in a position to help Ukraine.” “The budget of the armies will not decrease on the contrary,” he added. “We will strengthen it, we will intensify it.”
• The French called to “prepare” for a war that “lasts”
Emmanuel Macron was then asked about the consequences of the war in Ukraine for France. The head of state called on the French to “prepare” for the conflict to “last” over time due to Russia’s determination to take Donbass: “Summer, the beginning of autumn will certainly be very hard.”
As a result of this war, the Head of State mentioned a possible total cut off of Russian gas in the coming months. “Russia uses energy as a weapon of war… We must prepare for a scenario where Russia completely cuts off gas… It is likely and it is a very harsh scenario.”
• “A plan for sobriety” in preparation
In response, the latter promised the establishment of a “quantified sobriety plan” in order to help public administrations and companies to “consume less” and “get through the winter rush”.
“We must collectively enter into a logic of sobriety”, “we are going to prepare a plan to put ourselves in a position to consume less”, declared the Head of State, explaining that he will ask “public administrations, large groups to prepare a plan” .
“We are going to try to pay attention collectively, in the afternoon to the lights when they do not work, we are going to make a plan for public administrations, we are going to make a sobriety plan in which we are going to ask all our compatriots to commit, and we are going to to make a plan of sobriety and detachment of load, -here we are talking about gas and electricity-, with our companies”, he specified.
However, during his speech, the President of the Republic assured that in the face of rising energy prices, “nuclear energy is a sustainable solution”: “It is in France and also abroad”.
• Anti-inflationary aid will soon be “stepped up”
Regarding inflation, and in particular the rise in energy prices, Emmanuel Macron warns the French that “it is not possible for the State to assume the consequences for everyone”. “That is what we are doing right now. We are going to move towards mechanisms that are aimed at the people who need it most, which does not mean that the middle classes will not be helped (…). (The aid) will be narrowed towards those who need it most”, advances the president.
The rate shield on energy prices will thus be “revalued” at the end of the year, because “today the taxpayer pays instead of the consumer.”
• “Cross the street” to find work? “It’s even truer” today
Emmanuel Macron called for “going further” in the reform of unemployment insurance. “There is a place in France where people do not tell you that they are looking for employees,” explains the president. Implicated for having indicated to an unemployed young man that it was enough to “cross the street” to “find a job” in 2018the Head of State insists in this interview: “It is even more true” today, he judges.
Going further on the subject, the President of the Republic based himself on the example of the restoration that struggles to recruit. To those who no longer want to exercise these painful professions, Emmanuel Macron replies: “If you can find and move on to another profession, then I listen very well.”
“If behind the answer is ‘I will benefit from national solidarity to reflect on my life,’ I have a hard time hearing it. Because this national solidarity, is who pays it who works”.
In fact, he has promised a law text on labor reform “starting this summer”, which will therefore refer to unemployment insurance but also to training, especially for the elderly. “Starting this summer, there will have to be a text of law, after discussion with the social partners,” he said, referring to the “RSA reform”, a “France Travail reform”, but also to that high vocational school and “permanent” training.
• “Uber Files”: Macron “would do it again tomorrow”
Accused with the “Uber files” of having favored the establishment of the American company in France, Emmanuel Macron denied having been “under the influence” of the giant in the VTC. “I did not help Uber”, he insists, assuring on the other hand “having opened thousands of jobs” and “helped thousands of people to move” by “opening the market in a balanced way”.
“I would do it again tomorrow (…) I have no temperament to be under the influence”, he justified himself again. “The big companies had closed the market. I will always be for opening the economy.”
• The pension reform “from the summer of 2023”
After Élisabeth Borne, Emmanuel Macron in turn confirms that the pension reform will be well advanced during this legislature, with entry into force “from the summer of 2023”. “I saw the social partners, we will start a discussion at the end of the summer,” he explained.
However, the President of the Republic did not give details on the content of the reform, in particular the sensitive issue of the exit age. “We must work harder,” “considering the long careers and hard work,” he reiterated.
On this same issue, the President of the Republic called on the opposition to make “responsible commitments” to carry out the file, despite the absence of an absolute majority for the executive in the National Assembly.
Source: BFM TV
