Nuclear, agricultural crisis, customs duties… What can we learn from the debate between Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardella?

© THOMAS SAMSON POOLAFP

– Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardella are the two prominent figures of their respective political parties.

The campaign of European elections is in full swing, and it is undoubtedly at its peak. Thursday June 23 in the evening, the candidate of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, crossed swords during the television program The event on France 2. The economy was obviously at the heart of debates between the two politicians, leading figures of their respective movements. From his introductory remarks, Jordan Bardella raised the subject.

Indeed, the president of the National Rally attacked his evening opponent on his record, “that of Mr. Attal, of Mr. Macron, of Macron’s Europe, which for seven years now gripes the purchasing power of the French with the increase in energy prices, imposes migratory submersion, a punitive vision of ecology and unfair competition”. The first theme addressed was directly the economic question.

From “total free trade to fair trade”

Jordan Bardella denounced a “stall major economic who makes you run “a risk erasure of France on the European scene, but also on the international scene”. Of “total free trade in just exchange»he defended, evoking the “economic patriotism”. A wording which did not fail to provoke a reaction from the Prime Minister, who questioned him on one of his major proposals: the national priority in public procurement. “I hope that the farmers that you have put in great difficulty by your policies can be priority in the coming days”defended Jordan Bardella.

“If Jordan Bardella’s proposal is applied, all these companies will be cut the legs“, retorted Gabriel Attal. “You say: “France will now reserve these public contracts as a priority for French companies”. Other European countries will do exactly the same thing and our companies will lose markets», he continued. A subject also emerged during the show: customs duties.

“No taboo” for Gabriel Attal

The National Rally candidate admitted to wanting impose customs duties for “protect [le] indoor market by customs duties”criticizing the fact that Europe has been “overwhelmed with foreign vehiclesand in particular Chinese vehicles”. The sine qua non condition for Jordan Bardella is the imposition of customs duties “when a sector is threatened with extinctionwhen a sector like the automobile needs to rebuild itself”.

Gabriel Attal, however, does not admit “no taboo” regarding an increase in customs duties, particularly on Chinese products. Returning to the drop in the share of Chinese electric vehicles sold in France (by 60% in 2023 at 25% today), he explained it by reserved aids “to households to buy an electric vehicle to vehicles produced in France and Europewhich helped to reduce the purchase of Chinese electric vehicles.

Fourteen plants saved

THE nuclear was also at the heart of the discussions between the two political figures. “By the European rules that you have implemented, you prevent today French families, consumers, VSEs, SMEs, to benefit from fruits of our nuclear production», attacked Jordan Bardella. The Prime Minister responded by recalling that Marine Le Pen had previously opposite to nuclear “particularly for security reasons”. “I’m not like you to change your mind”he attacked.

He subsequently recalled the decision of Emmanuel Macron, who wishes repel the closure of fourteen nuclear power plants. He also mentioned a law adopted in Parliament in 2023who wishes to accelerate “procedures related to the construction of new nuclear installations”. On the agricultural issue, Jordan Bardella proposed stopping putting farmers “in competition with products that come from the back of the World and who do not respect any of the economic, social, health standards that are imposed” to the French.

“Mirror clauses and reciprocity”

Wishing “defend the French agricultural exception»he called for an end to “the proliferation of free trade agreements with economic spaces with which we will never be competitive”. The Prime Minister accused him of quoting “trade agreements very different one another”.“If the Mercosur was not adopted or signed, it is precisely because France, through the voice of the president, opposed it”argued Gabriel Attal. “There are mirror clauses and reciprocity »he said, particularly regarding CETA.

“The climate challenge is one of the major challenges of our generation”, also mentioned Jordan Bardella. But, in his eyes, “Hell is paved with good intentions”denouncing “environmental ambitions unrealistic» of the government by referring to theban on the sale of thermal vehicles in 2035. “You are going to make us move from a dependence that we know, on hydrocarbons, which is certainly not viable in the long term, to a addiction totally unknown which will put us back in the hands of China in particular”he attacked.

Two million electric vehicles

“You seem to live in a world where we have to oil in France. Bad news for you, This is not the case»retorted the Prime Minister, who justified this European decision: “Why is setting the long-term objective of moving away from thermal vehicles good for the French? THE barrel price, in the years to come, will necessarily continue to increase.” After the opening of megabattery gigafactories, “we will be able in 2030 to produce two million electric vehicles on French soil”he assured.