France: after the regional, Macron and Bertrand measure each other at the Renault factory in Douai
President Emmanuel Macron (c.) Talks with Renault executive director Luca de Meo (l.).
In the foreground, Xavier Bertrand (r.), The president of Hauts de France, winner of the regional races on June 27, 2021, and potential presidential candidate in 2022. REUTERS - POOL
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In the aftermath of the flop to the presidential party in the regional elections of June 27, the Head of State Emmanuel Macron is back on the ground.
He visited the Renault site in Douai in the north of France, where an electric battery factory to equip future Renault cars will be set up.
During this trip, Emmanuel Macron met one of those who wants to take his place at the Élysée next year, the president of Hauts-de-France, Xavier Bertrand, widely re-elected.
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With our special correspondent in Douai,
Anthony Lattier
"
Hello Mr. President of the Regional Council, are you okay?"
Congratulations !
»,
Launches Emmanuel Macron to Xavier Bertrand.
The congratulations of uses, and a quick exchange between a head of state weakened by the rout of his camp and a president of Hauts-de-France reinforced by his victory, Xavier Bertrand, who wants to bring Emmanuel Macron to talk politics and to comment on yesterday's record abstention.
"
She says a lot of things, we will all draw the consequences but when we reinvest, we manage to calm a lot of things
", replies Emmanuel Macron.
"
To reduce the anger,
" retorts Xavier Bertrand.
Three billion euros
The president deflects the conversation and remains evasive on the political conclusions to be drawn from the ballot. He wants to stick today to job creation, to the good news.
The investment of the Renault factory in Douai
, of more than three billion euros, should indeed create more than 2,500 jobs by 2027.
“
We have not become the most attractive country in Europe since 2019 and again this year by chance,” he
recalls.
We are, because we are making reforms together and we have carried out these reforms.
I was given all the qualifiers when I did this, but we have results!
Imagine, we haven't created industrial jobs for almost 20 years!
Today, we are recreating industrial jobs in our country, because we are re-attracting industrial investors!
There are no mysteries, it's work.
"
Emmanuel Macron found himself facing the employees in the middle of the factory, to defend his economic record, in a hurry to turn the page on the regional, where there, the results were not there.
► To read also: After his victory in the regional, Xavier Bertrand has the presidential election in the viewfinder
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Economy
Emmanuel Macron
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