INTERVIEW OF JULY 14, 2022

WOULD EMMANUEL MACRON DECENTRATE

TO THE RIGHT ?

The war in Ukraine

On July 14, the President of the Republic paid tribute at the start of the interview to all French soldiers, but also to fallen soldiers and their families. This military parade had a particular resonance in the context of the war at the gates of Europe. Faced with this high-intensity conflict, Emmanuel Macron announced that the government would propose a new military programming law, to plan state investments in armaments and increase its budget.

He also told the French that they had to be prepared "for what it lasts", and predicted very difficult months at the end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn. He recalled his support for Ukraine, and reaffirmed France's position, namely to try to stop the war without taking sides, and for that the only possible tool is to impose financial sanctions on Russia.

Energy

If France is not involved in the war in Ukraine, it will suffer the consequences, particularly on energy prices. Emmanuel Macron, who accused Moscow of using this gas as a "weapon of war", explained that France was in the process of diversifying its supply and replenishing its stocks. Emmanuel Macron did say that Vladimir Putin intended to "use gas as a weapon of war", and that we had to prepare for the scenario in which Russia will completely cut off its gas exports. If France only depends on it for 20%, the President of the Republic nevertheless calls on the French to be energy sobriety.

He indicated the preparation, with public administrations, local communities, companies, of a plan on energy sobriety. If the State secures energy stocks from other suppliers, and plans to reach 100% of its stocks by the fall, the Head of State invites all citizens to regulate their energy consumption to avoid any risk of cuts this winter.

Labor reform

One of the government's major milestones for this new five-year term is "full employment", because, according to the President of the Republic, "the best response to purchasing power is work". Moreover “There is no social model if there is no work to finance it”, declared the Head of State, who once again praised the value of work. "We must go further" on the reform of unemployment insurance, announces Emmanuel Macron, and this "as of this summer". He also cited the reform of the RSA, the promise of his presidential program: “They must commit, of course, those who receive the RSA. No one wants to stay at the RSA”. It therefore wishes to continue its policy which aims to support the unemployed towards employment on training, by conditioning certain aids to a professional activity, such as the RSA.

Emmanuel Macron also announced a series of reforms for the less to come: that of the vocational school, which should allow high school students to receive a small salary; continue the reform of unemployment insurance, the rules of which came into force last autumn and are due to expire on 31 October next. Finally, the president also wishes to pursue the apprenticeship reform already begun under his previous mandate.

Regarding wages, Emmanuel Macron encouraged employers to increase them, and announced discussions with all professional branches in the coming weeks, so that no worker receives less than the minimum wage.

Pension reform

On pensions, Emmanuel Macron has kept the same course since the start of the presidential campaign: “we have to work more and longer”, “I know that we have to work longer. We must carry out this reform.”, he hammered in front of journalists Anne-Claire Coudray and Caroline Roux.

Emanuel Macron. “What I am committed to is to say that we must gradually shift the legal retirement age to 65 by the 2030s.” Emmanuel Macron has his plan in mind: “I think that from the summer of 2023, we must have a first entry into force”.

With the Covid-19 crisis, the debt has increased, and the President of the Republic wishes to “return to budgetary seriousness”. For this, he refuses to raise taxes and to dig a little more debt, but wants France to work more.

Negotiations with the social partners should resume at the end of the summer.

“The discussion should start at the start of the school year. At the end of the summer, there will be a discussion with all the living forces of the nation on all subjects, continued Emmanuel Macron. There will then be work with the trade union and employer forces, then with the political forces in Parliament. »

“Are you afraid of spending a five-year term seeing your projects challenged? asked Anne-Claire Coudray. “No”, immediately replied Emmanuel Macron. Because for him in the National Assembly: “There is no majority against the government except with a baroque team”.

These two reforms, unemployment insurance and pensions, are likely to once again put the Republicans in difficulty, who will find it difficult to fight them. Emmanuel Macron tried to underline their contradictions when he was asked about the rejection, on the night of Monday to Tuesday in the Assembly, of the "health watch and security" bill, relating to the possible return of an anti-Covid health pass for entry into France. “You have LFI deputies with RN deputies and Les Républicains deputies who voted together, he underlined. I do not believe that the Republican deputies have made a commitment in front of their voters to vote with LFI and the RN to prevent a border pass from being put in place”

A baroque hitch ?

Mocking this "baroque coupling", Emmanuel Macron believes that the LR deputies in question "will have a hard time explaining to their constituents what they did the other evening". He wants to believe in a “night heat stroke” and is counting on the “collective wisdom of senators”, mostly on the right, to restore the anti-Covid measure.

The President of the Republic therefore calls for “responsible compromises” to implement a reform that he had to abort during his first five-year term.

“To follow the reasoning of Emmanuel Macron when the RN votes against a bill, the Nupes should vote for; and vice versa. It can onlybe a question of a rhetorical strategy, altogether not very skilful, but the indignation and the astonishment of the majority these last days seem to foretell a real misunderstanding of the new political situation. “, analysis in the Figaro Benjamin Morel, lecturer in public law at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

“With a divided majority, a strong opposition, mobilized unions, and a scalded opinion, embarking on this battle, in the midst of an economic crisis, makes a strange political sense. While in times of crisis the country needs unity, the president does not hesitate to put forward the most divisive themes”, still according to the academic.