The Citizens' Climate Convention has made its proposals. Among them: the establishment of a referendum aiming to introduce the fight against climate change into the Constitution and to create a crime of ecocide. The participants call on the government to take "its responsibilities". For his part, Emmanuel Macron would lean for a referendum.
The head of state had promised "strong decisions" and to resume "without filter" the conclusions of the Citizens' Convention. Upon arrival: 149 proposals, and for Emmanuel Macron, the obligation to make this report a political object. The method is under discussion. The president had outlined three solutions: regulations directly made by the government, laws after debates in Parliament, or a referendum.
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A referendum that is not a vote "for or against Macron"
It is this latter option that is currently appealing to the top of the state. "It can help regain control," wants to believe a minister. But the idea of a multiple choice, sometimes mentioned, is debated. It would certainly allow the French to be confronted with different, sometimes complex, ecological choices, without risking a vote "for or against Macron".
However, the constitutional experts do not seem to agree on the regularity of such a ballot. "A multiple choice is not very Gaullian," laughs a close friend of the president. Anyway, Emmanuel Macron will receive next Monday the 150 participants of the Citizens' Convention, and will announce on this occasion "his first responses", slips the Elysee.
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The head of state knows that his record in terms of ecology is often considered too low, he who promised to "reinvent himself" could take this opportunity to take an ecological turn before reshuffling his government, especially around this stake.