Emmanuel Macron during his time on TF1's newscast - AFP

After sales service, the recovery plan. Tuesday evening, the President of the Republic was the guest of the TF1 newscast. The opportunity for Emmanuel Macron to come back to the agreement concluded last night between the 27 European countries but also to answer some topical questions. This is what should be remembered from his television appearance at "8 p.m.".

On the European recovery plan

"We fought and we have it, this is the most important moment since the life of our Europe and the creation of the euro, I want everyone to be aware of it", underlined the president of the Republic. This agreement amounting to 750 billion euros, concluded Tuesday at dawn, is the fruit of "three years of work between France and Germany", he added.

Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France would receive “40 billion euros on this stimulus plan” and will be “the third beneficiary in Europe”, after Italy and Spain. This "corresponds to 40% of the expenditure" of the French recovery plan estimated at 100 billion, which "means that this money will come from Europe on our budget without our needing to finance it, neither by our own debt nor by our taxes ”, he detailed.

The French recovery plan, which will be presented on August 24, will be used to "finance the employment of young people", "our small and medium-sized enterprises, our craftsmen, our traders", "tourism but also the thermal renovation of buildings", “Hydrogen, electric batteries… anything that will allow us to create jobs”, he enumerated.

🔴🗣 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - @EmmanuelMacron:

"We are going to build this recovery plan with the desire to finance youth employment, our small and medium-sized enterprises ...".

📺 # Macron20H in # LE20H of @ TF1 with @Ju_Arnaud and on @LCI # La26 ➡ https://t.co/0rV5yOuUVC. pic.twitter.com/ZSFpeUWQml

- TF1LeJT (@ TF1LeJT) July 21, 2020

The Head of State affirmed that "it is not the French taxpayer" who "will pay" the recovery plan, "because we are committed to creating new own resources".

It is about "being able, at European level, to levy a tax on large companies and international players who do not play the game of our policies". To the tax on plastic, “a first clean resource”, he wants to add “a digital tax for the major international digital players who today do not pay taxes”.

The second track is the installation of a “carbon mechanism at the borders”, he added, citing the example of steel imported into Europe. "When we import steel that comes from the end of the world, which is made under much less virtuous conditions (than in Europe), we must be able to impose a tax at our borders which avoids unfair competition" from "this steel who would come from India, China or elsewhere ”.

On free masks

Asked about the issue of masks, as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Emmanuel Macron said that the French taxpayer was "not intended to pay for masks" for everyone, but those who cannot buy them will be "helped", while voices have been raised in recent days to ask for free.

🔴🗣 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - @EmmanuelMacron:

"The State, and the French taxpayer, is not intended to pay #masks for everyone, all the time. It must remain a social policy".

📺 # Macron20H # LE20H from @ TF1 @Ju_Arnaud @LCI ➡ https://t.co/0rV5yOuUVC. pic.twitter.com/zHEy8Ozzoz

- TF1LeJT (@ TF1LeJT) July 21, 2020

"On the other hand, our role, we French, and with the Europeans, is to secure in the coming period stocks, production, whether it is general public masks, masks for our caregivers, but also respirators, pharmaceutical products that we need and our ability to produce a vaccine, ”continued the Head of State.

On security and incivility

He affirms that he will be "intractable" on incivilities with regard in particular to the police and firefighters so that they do not become "a habit". “I have always said it and I will say it again firmly, it is zero tolerance. Anyone who wears republican authority, anyone who belongs to our internal security forces or who acts to serve, firefighters, also caregivers (...) deserves respect and we will not tolerate any deviation, ”added the head of the 'State.

Emmanuel Macron promised to "strengthen the equipment" and "support policies", and assured that he would take "all the necessary measures so that the judicial response is rapid and at the rendezvous of these incivilities". “It is not only an immediate response that is necessary, it is a profound change of mindset,” he stressed.

Economy

Coronavirus: Does the 750 billion euro stimulus plan mark a historic step for the European Union?

  • TF1
  • Covid 19
  • Coronavirus
  • EU
  • Emmanuel Macron