The exchange lasted long hours. On Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron had a long discussion with 600 mayors of Normandy, in Grand Bourgtheroulde, for the launch of the "great national debate", on which he intends to solve the crisis of "yellow vests". Limitation at 80 km / h, ISF, but also referendum citizens' initiative (RIC), the President of the Republic has raised several hot issues before elected officials to enumerate the long list of "grievances" of their citizens.
The main infos to remember:
- Emmanuel Macron defended the suppression of the ISF
- He is ready to work on the limitation to 80 km / h to "be better accepted", and is ready to reopen the NOTRe law
- The head of state has been reserved on the issue of citizens' initiative referendum
Removal of the ISF: Macron defends its balance sheet
The head of state defended his economic program, including the rise of the CSG and the removal of the ISF, the latter measure being particularly at the heart of the anger of the "yellow vests". "We must not tell cracks: it is not because we will give the ISF as it was a year and a half ago that the situation of a single yellow vest will improve. the pipe, "said Emmanuel Macron.
If for the President of the Republic, the ISF is "not at all a taboo, nor a totem", he recalled that "the government has taken texts and the parliament voted on what as a candidate I I was committed, so there is no surprise, there is no deception, and it seems to me to be a good democratic rule to do what we have agreed to do with our fellow citizens ".
But opens the door to facilities on the limitation to 80 km / h
The President of the Republic, however, admitted that there could be adjustments to the decree limiting speed to 80 km / h, a measure much criticized by elected officials and while 60% of radars have been vandalized since the beginning of the movement of "yellow vests". No question for the moment to remove the measure, but Emmanuel Macron wants to make it "better accepted" by the French. "We must together find a smarter way to implement it, there is no dogma," he said, calling on mayors to "make proposals" on this issue. "is part of the debate".
"There are proposals that have been made by the government, there is a bronca." Should we stop everything? Frankly no .... Can we do something that is better accepted? and smarter, no doubt yes, "continued the head of state.
READ ALSO - Macron open to facilities on the limitation to 80 km / h: "not a step back", according to a lawyer in road law
While many local elected officials have been demanding for months more local autonomy, to choose which departmental must be limited to 80 or 90 km / h, Emmanuel Macron also seemed ready for changes, while this possibility was until there excluded by the government. "Saying: we think we have smarter proposals, better acceptable to the population and that would be just as effective, because we know which section is dangerous, which is not, or which is dangerous. ... In my opinion, maybe we can get there, "he said to the applause.
And is said "ready" to reopen the NOTRe law
Dating back to 2015 and concerning the new territorial organization, the OUR law has notably led to the transfer of powers from municipalities to communities of municipalities and agglomerations. Before the mayors, Emmanuel Macron said he was "ready" to reopen it. "I think we need to put the responsibility in closer to the field, to put back contact, clarity and meaning in our decisions," he said.
"I'm ready to reopen it, not to say 'we're going to go back for years of discussions knowing what skill we put in one place, what skill to another'," he continued. "But we can see that there needs to be a breath on things that have been wrongly done," he admitted. "We must evaluate it together, we must not unravel everything, but we must pragmatically improve things," he concluded, calling on elected officials to work with the Minister of Territorial Cohesion and the Minister for Communities. territorial.
Reserves on the citizens' initiative referendum
This is one of the main claims of "yellow vests". Referring to the issue of the citizens' initiative referendum (RIC), Emmanuel Macron expressed his reservations. For the host of the Elysee, "we must not create a competitive situation between forms of democracy" direct and representative.
READ ALSO - "Great national debate": a kickoff and several unknowns
"We must put a form of lock, when the people have expressed themselves by referendum on a subject" and ensure that "the sovereign people, through its representatives, can not return during a certain period, in any case in the same terms, "he suggested. Admitting that a "reflection on our different forms of democracy" had its place in the "big national debate", Emmanuel Macron however added that if "a citizens' initiative referendum that every morning can return to what parliamentarians have voted there, we kill parliamentary democracy ".
On secularism, he believes in an "ambitious reform"
The President finally justified placing the theme of secularism on the subjects of the debate, because it is "a real concern for many of our fellow citizens". Defending the 1905 law, he recalled the objectives of the executive, mentioning "several challenges". "For the financing of religions to be clearer in our country, so that there are not people who use a religion to divert people from the Republic, we have a challenge of good organization".
"I believe that we can bring a real ambitious reform to strengthen secularism in our country," he said, calling to do so in "extremely peaceful way", with the desire to "get out of all the simplisms , and all the ostracisms ".