Paris (AFP)

LFI deputy François Ruffin on Tuesday called for a referendum on the deployment of 5G and the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure a "real debate" on this controversial subject.

"Yes, France will take the turn of 5G", launched Monday Emmanuel Macron in front of digital companies, joking about those who would prefer "the Amish model" and the "return to the oil lamp", the day after the demand for a moratorium on 70 elected representatives from the left and environmentalists.

The allocation of frequencies for this mobile technology should begin at the end of September in France.

"I do not believe that today we have the obligation to seek to mock those who ask questions," Olivier Faure replied Tuesday to the Head of State on Public Senate.

"Technological progress is not always progress for humans", he added, wishing for "a real debate" at the end of which "we make choices".

François Ruffin wants "a referendum on 5G".

"In 2005, the referendum on the European treaty was a great moment of democracy and political culture, it can be again", defends the deputy of the Somme in an interview with L'Obs.

"The other option would be to redo a Citizens' Convention dedicated to the 5G file", he adds, noting "that today, everything is done so that there is no democratic debate there. above. Even when technology is no longer taken for granted.

"I am not deciding on the substance of the 5G issue. I am positioning myself for democratic control of the use of technologies. I do not wish to provide any definitive answer but rather ask question marks on the environment, health, possible uses, "says the former journalist.

He also recalls that the President of the Republic had "tacitly" validated at the end of June all of the 149 proposals of the Citizen's Climate Convention, with the exception of three of them that he had listed, without citing 5G. .

The final report of the 150 citizens drawn by lot proposed in particular to "accompany the evolution of digital technology to reduce its environmental impacts", and called for the establishment "of a moratorium on the implementation of 5G pending the results of 5G health and climate assessment ".

But the Secretary of State for the Economy, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, then announced that the auction to allocate the first frequencies, scheduled for September, would be well launched, thus closing the door to the request for a moratorium of the Convention.

© 2020 AFP