INTERVIEW
"When we talk about a climate emergency, we must respond with rapid action," insists Ségolène Royal, at the microphone of Europe 1. Guest of the newspaper at 6 p.m. Friday, the former Minister of the Environment insisted on the need to take concrete and rapid measures, while the results of the Citizen Climate Convention, announced in 2019 by Emmanuel Macron, will be known over the weekend.
I think there has been a lot of work that has been done, but it has taken a lot of time, "she said." During these eight months, there has been a lot of hindsight in environmental matters: pesticides, mining permits, protection of natural areas, "she said." So now we have to speed up the process. "
"Any procedure that will waste time will be a bad action"
"What we could have imagined is that as soon as a proposal comes out of this convention, it is immediately implemented, to avoid these very long delays," regrets Ségolène Royal. "Today, we must no longer waste time and take direct action on the good proposals that are made."
The 150 citizens drawn for floor on solutions to fight climate change vote from Friday on their proposals. Those which will be adopted will be handed over to the executive as of Sunday, and Emmanuel Macron has undertaken to provide an initial response on June 29. The latter would even consider a climate referendum, according to several sources close to the President of the Republic.
But for Ségolène Royal, a referendum has nothing concrete. "Everyone sees that it is not suitable," she says. "If the question is to know if the French want more environmental protection and fight against climate change, the answer is yes, there are even, regularly, demonstrations so that it accelerates!", Continues the former minister . "Any procedure which will waste time or which will be a political maneuver aimed at restoring the coat of arms of the government will be a bad action, not in accordance with the will of the country".
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"Do things fast, put funding on the table"
Besides, according to her, the French have already spoken. "There was the climate agreement in December 2015, with all the decisions that were already potentially acquired, and applications that have been made," said the former Minister of the Environment, referring to the tax credit. for the energy transition (CITE) set up when she was in government, but whose abolition is planned for January 2021. "We must do things simple and fast, put funding on the table".
The measures to be implemented must be in line with the current situation in France, adds Ségolène Royal. "We are dealing with the management of the post-health crisis, but the convention met before, so we must take into account the new context". A context which, according to her, can be an opportunity to create jobs in the fields of energy transition.
Concretely, Ségolène Royal calls for action on three levels: citizens, in particular by re-establishing the CITE; businesses, mainly construction companies, by lowering VAT on energy insulation works; and the territories, by putting "money on the table", and by giving "European aid to the territories so that they can start work".
All this must be done, and quickly, repeats the former minister, who insists on the superfluous nature of a referendum. "The government is not able to provide the answers to the medical personnel who are obliged to demonstrate to obtain their 300 euros per month, and we are going to be made to believe that with a referendum, we will fight against climate change? seriously ", quips Ségolène Royal. "Each day that passes when these projects of ecological transition are not launched, it is a day of lost," she continues. "I hope that the president will be serious, and that from the proposals, will immediately take action."