François Hollande asked Emmanuel Macron to "make economic and social emergency" his "priority" for the post-coronavirus, Friday during their first one-on-one lunch since the 2017 presidential election, said l entourage of the former President of the Republic.
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François Hollande worried about the coming economic and social crisis
"From the start of the health crisis, François Hollande was worried about the economic and social crisis to come. His concern is even greater today, given the announced deterioration of the situation in the coming months", according to this source. The latter mentioned "the particular case of the BorgWarner company which announced yesterday (Thursday) the outright closure of its Eyrein site in Corrèze, resulting in the loss of almost 400 jobs".
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"Reindustrialization of the most fragile territories"
François Hollande "insisted with President Macron on the need to make the economic and social emergency the first priority of the public authorities, with a reindustrialisation of the most fragile territories, a revival before the summer of consumption with targeted checks and launching a plan for housing renovation. " "The situation calls for strong decisions on the ecological level" but "nothing must be undertaken which could divide, in a period when our country first needs appeasement", we add from the same source, in allusion "the potential referendum and the postponement of regional regularly mentioned in the press".
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The first tête-à-tête between the current head of state and his predecessor
It was the first time that the current head of state and his predecessor, whose relations have been strained since 2017, met face to face. "The tone was courteous, frank and republican," according to the entourage. François Hollande had already visited the Elysée twice since the election of Emmanuel Macron, once in September 2017 after Paris won the 2024 Olympic Games and once again during a lunch of homage to Jacques Chirac, after his death, in September 2019.
President Macron met Tuesday afternoon with former President Nicolas Sarkozy, before receiving François Hollande, as part of his consultations to prepare for the post-coronavirus crisis and the "new stage" of the quinquennium.