Faced with the crisis, Emmanuel Macron defends his policy and maintains his course
French President Emmanuel Macron during the program "L'Événement" on October 26, 2022. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
On France 2, Emmanuel Macron promised on Wednesday to "
protect the weakest
" in the face of the
looming "
storm
", by supporting purchasing power and small businesses hit by rising energy prices, and paved the way for an extension of the contribution period for pensions.
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“
We are going through a crisis, crises, even
”, launched the Head of State, guest for the second time in two weeks of the new program “L’Événement” on France 2, pointing to the war in Ukraine and its consequences on energy and prices.
“
We have to get through this storm
(…)
and we are going to get through it together
”, like that of the Covid, he hammered as the clouds gather over growth in France and in Europe at the approach of Winter.
"
To cross it, we must protect the weakest
(...)
and we must push those who have more strength to do even better
", assured the head of state.
"
This is my goal, a stronger France to be fairer and more peaceful, and there will be no other
", he insisted, while the questions are multiplying even in his own camp on the dynamics and meaning of this start of the second five-year term.
If the president reiterated his opposition to
a specific tax on “
superprofits
”
, in particular demanded by the left, he described as “
necessary
” the subject of “
value sharing
”.
“
I believe in a France of work and merit.
For us to continue to move forward, we must create more work, create more jobs, more strength, but at the level of each company we must have a fairer distribution and that is real social dialogue
. he pleaded.
"
It's hard, but we have to hold on
"
Emmanuel Macron again engaged in a pedagogical exercise, with supporting graphics, in the face of many questions from the French, from inflation to pension reform on which the executive chose to temporize, without giving up.
He insisted on the protective measures put in place from the end of 2021 to control the rise in energy prices, believing that they had enabled France to better cushion the shock of inflation than its neighbors, with 6 % against 10% elsewhere.
"
It's hard, but we have to hold on
," he insisted, while
gas and electricity prices are to increase by 15% at the start
of 2023. From January, aid will be "
targeted
" on those who need it the most, the most modest families, the most fragile students and businesses, he said.
The executive will “
guarantee a reasonable price
” of electricity to local authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises.
A help desk, including down payments, will also be set up for mid-sized companies and large groups.
The Head of State, on the other hand, ruled out an indexation of wages to prices demanded by certain unions, renewing his calls for a “
fairer distribution
” of profits in companies, through social dialogue.
Pension reform and immigration
While the executive continues its negotiations on pension reforms, Emmanuel Macron declared himself "
open
" to a postponement of the legal retirement age to 64, and not 65 as he had promised during the presidential campaign, in the event of an extension of the contribution period.
Ten days after the murder of a 12-year-old teenager, Lola, by an Algerian in an irregular situation, he also refuted any "
existential link between immigration and insecurity
" but reaffirmed his desire to "
toughen the rules
" to better "
fight against illegal immigration
".
The president, however, conceded that we "
cannot fail to see that at least half of the delinquents, of the acts of delinquency that we observe, come from people who are foreigners, either in an irregular situation or awaiting permits
” following a question on the link assumed by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin between immigration and delinquency.
(
With
AFP)
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