Two months to allow to bring up the concerns of the French. This is the meaning of the "great national debate", launched by Emmanuel Macron from Tuesday and will last two months. Before this key moment of the quinquennium, the head of state received Monday afternoon fifteen or so rural mayors, who have transmitted the complaints expressed by their constituents in recent weeks. "He was very attentive to what could be said," said Monday evening Europe 1 Vanik Berberian, president of the Association of Rural Mayors of France (AMRF).
A "useful" contribution to Macron, wants to believe Berberian. "It is important for him to have a return of ground that is different from the one he usually has from the prefects or the leaders of his party.We, we bring a look totally detached from the political politics and we speak of the everyday life of the people In the reflection that imposes itself on the President of the Republic, the contribution that one can have is something that must be useful for him ", insisted the mayor of Gorgilesse-Dampierre, a small commune of 290 inhabitants located in the Indre.
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These grievances, before the beginning of the "great national debate", have the mayors at the heart of the political game. "It is true that, in recent times, the government had neglected us a little, as the elected representatives in general and the intermediate bodies," Vanik Berberian analysis. "But the role of the mayor is always very present in the minds of our fellow citizens."
A warning to the government. As such, the city warned Emmanuel Macron on the risk of a large national consultation without political consequences. "It's good to consult the French, but if it's to tell them 'I understood you and heard' and there is no outlet, it will be a problem, it would really be a very bad idea. to leave all these contributions dead letter. "
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It is essential to free the ability to choose the themes and not to remain prisoners of the themes that are proposed by the government
Is it necessary to set red lines, as on the ISF (Solidarity Tax on wealth), as indicated by Emmanuel Macron in his letter to the French published Sunday? "It is absolutely essential to free the capacity to act, to choose the themes and not to remain prisoners of the themes that are proposed by the government, even if there are sub-themes in which one can bring in a variety of things ", says the rural mayor. "This word must truly be free."
"Surprised" the success of the notebooks of grievances. The President of the AMRF remains optimistic about the holding of this debate announced by the Head of State on December 10 last. "One in two French to participate is rather good news," he says. "[For grievances], we were very surprised to see that many municipalities joined the idea, we saw a lot of people move, so we collected thousands of contributions. 'to express things.'
The purchasing power at the heart of the claims. For the content of these claims, Vanik Berberian evokes the deep anger from the rural world. "You have to remember that this movement began with the proposed supplementary fuel tax.When you have no other option than to take the car, the fact of being taxed is very badly perceived, especially that it was added to the sequence of 80 km / h which did not go well either. " These topics related to purchasing power should logically emerge in the debates that will be held until mid-March, when Emmanuel Macron will begin the analysis of contributions from France.