Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex.

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Ludovic Marin / AP / SIPA

  • "What our fellow citizens expect of us for the year 2021 is to make it a useful year of struggle, recovery and ambition," announced Emmanuel Macron.

  • Many files, sometimes explosive, are on the desk of Jean Castex for the year 2021.

  • But due to the coronavirus, will the government have time to launch all the reforms?

“We have a funny year”.

At the beginning of October, Emmanuel Macron recognized that the coronavirus had modified his plans for the year 2020. During his wishes to the French on Thursday evening, the President of the Republic should discuss the executive's projects for the coming months.

"What our fellow citizens expect from us for the year 2021 is to make it a useful year of struggle, recovery and ambition," he said at the last Council of Ministers on December 21.

The executive's schedule promises to be busy.

Fight against Covid-19, recovery plan, referendum on the climate ...

20 Minutes

looks

back on the main government issues for 2021.

Speed ​​up on vaccines

No miracle on this point.

The year 2021 should also be turned upside down by the coronavirus.

The number of new cases detected each day remains 12,000 on average over the last seven days, far from the target of 5,000 set by the government.

The latter could also take more restrictive measures at the beginning of January, while pressure is increasing in the eastern half of France.

"A progress report will be made at the beginning of January, when there will be more perspective on the mixing of the population during the holidays," says MoDem MP Erwann Balanant.

But we now have a new element in this battle against the virus with the arrival of the vaccine ”.

Launched last Sunday in nursing homes, the vaccination campaign is one of the government's main challenges for the coming weeks.

But some opponents have already criticized the "slowness" of this deployment on the territory, in comparison with other countries such as Germany, the United States or Israel.

The executive's goal is to successfully vaccinate a million people by the end of February.

Vaccination will then be extended to the elderly and certain health professionals, before being open to the general public in the spring.

A 100 billion plan to revive the economy

Another priority for the government: economic recovery.

Emmanuel Macron has put on the table a plan of 100 billion euros by 2022 to revive activity, battered by the epidemic since last March.

“Our constant is to keep a balance between health protection and maintaining economic activity.

This huge plan of 100 billion euros is a recovery plan more than a support plan ”, assures LREM deputy of Asia-Oceania-Eastern Europe Anne Genetet.

“This is an opportunity to transform our production methods, our strategic choices in order to design the France of 2040. The major mistake of the last thirty years has been not to put enough emphasis on training.

This will be an opportunity with this plan, especially for the youngest ”, adds his colleague from the Rhône, Bruno Bonnell.

Four billion euros are thus intended for their entry into professional life.

But several economists are wondering about the short-term effectiveness of this stimulus plan, mainly focused on supporting investment in sectors of the future and on lowering production taxes for companies.

The latter also remains highly criticized by the opposition.

In addition, the public debt, which has exploded to 120% of the GDP this year and which will rise again next year, could also be a key element for the executive.

A separatism law that could divide the majority

The government also hopes to pass its bill on separatism, renamed "law consolidating the principles of the Republic".

"This is the major sovereign file, because it is a fundamental fight on our French identity and what makes our DNA at En Marche: the fight for emancipation", assures Bruno Bonnell.

The examination of the articles in committee should start on January 18, before a passage in session on February 1 in the National Assembly.

The controversial text could rekindle differences over secularism and divide the majority.

Finding room for the climate referendum

Emmanuel Macron surprised his world in mid-January by taking up this proposal from the citizens' committee on the climate.

The Head of State proposed the holding of a referendum to integrate the defense of the climate and the preservation of the environment in article 1 of the Constitution.

"It will be a pivotal moment, a key moment in the five-year term," assures Bruno Bonnel.

Because it will also be the occasion of a more general support or not for our policy, and in particular vis-à-vis this commitment on ecology ”.

The Council of Ministers is expected to examine this constitutional reform in a single article on January 27, at the same time as the climate law.

This initiative, perceived as a "political trap" by some, must first be the subject of identical votes by the Assembly and the Senate.

Other bills are now awaiting the epidemic situation, such as the explosive pension reform or that of unemployment insurance.

Will they see the light of day before the end of the five-year term?

Bruno Bonnell does not really believe in it: “The epidemic will last at least until the summer, then there will be the climate referendum.

We will not have time, but they will not be forgotten and can be refined in a second five-year program.

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  • Wishes

  • Covid 19

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Government

  • Coronavirus