Emmanuel Macron estimated Sunday that the withdrawal of Total to sponsor the Olympic Games in 2024 in France, under the pressure of the mayor of Paris, was "not a good idea" because the company could "help fund Green Games ".
"We must mobilize collectively all French funders"
"This is not a good idea," said the head of state, asked about France Info on the renunciation of the oil group announced in early June. Emmanuel Macron regretted "moral lessons": "It is easier to discard private money by giving moral lessons than to find, so now we must mobilize collectively all French funders", has he said.
At the end of March, Anne Hidalgo had written to the boss of the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games, Tony Estanguet, to demand exemplary Games on the environmental level and not having in particular resort to sponsors active in fossil energies, a mail that clearly aimed at Total, without naming it.
"Total must engage in an energy transition policy"
"That there are companies that pollute, it is the case, but I will not explain to all the employees of Total in France that they have a work which is not worthy", explained Emmanuel Macron Sunday. "Total must engage in an energy transition policy, we need to help them, and if Total can put money into helping to finance Green Games and can put money to help finance the transition, it's a good thing, "he argued.
All the financiers are "welcome", assured Emmanuel Macron. While, he said, they "must be exemplary in terms of the environment and in terms of inclusion is absolutely essential, but behind we must mobilize all our businesses to help finance, but not with their specifications, with ours ".