After a year 2024 marked by a failed dissolution and a fractured National Assembly, Emmanuel Macron presented his wishes to the French for the eighth time. If during his wishes in 2022, the President of the Republic had outraged the scientific community with his rhetorical question « Who could have predicted the climate crisis ? »this time he decided to briefly talk about ecology in his wishes for 2025.
« We continued to build an ecology of progress, to fight against climate change by reducing our emissions »the head of state proudly mentioned at the start of his speech. An announcement made a few days after the publication of the barometer mandated by the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, to establish the quantity of greenhouse gases (GES) issued by France during the first nine months of 2024.
And contrary to Emmanuel Macron's statement, the figures are not favorable. If from January to March, the Citepa organization responsible for this inventory recorded a reduction of 5 % of GES compared to the same period in 2023 ; from April to June, this drop was only 2.2 % ; and between July and September, emissions started to rise again, by 0.5 %. An alarming trend, which endangers the objective of a reduction of 4.7 % per year, until 2030.
Natural disasters, farmers…
« United, determined and united, we were also united in the face of the trials and dramas of 2024 »said Emmanuel Macron. Indeed, the year 2024 reached new heights with extreme weather events, according to the World Weather Attribution report. Passage of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte, large-scale floods in Pas-de-Calais, forest fires in Hérault… The President of the Republic could not ignore the subject. However, no political guidance has yet been given.
Emmanuel Macron then quickly mentioned another crisis affecting France: that of farmers. While they plan to block Paris from January 5, Emmanuel Macron tries to reassure the sector, and announced that the government will continue « of [le] protect and [le] sustain ».
The Head of State also welcomed the « connection of the new nuclear reactor in Flamanville »… after seventeen years of work and twelve years of delay. This should increase in power until the summer of 2025 and thus become the most powerful reactor in France. A shutdown is nevertheless already planned for 2026 to replace a defective reactor vessel cover.
2025, a year of referendums ?
While remaining vague on the substance, Emmanuel Macron requested a « European awakening, scientific, intellectual, technological, industrial awakening, agricultural, energy and ecological awakening ».
Furthermore, the Head of State made a my fault by recognizing in particular that the dissolution of the National Assembly in June had « brought for the moment more divisions than solutions for the French ».
With his speech, Emmanuel Macron still decided to keep an element of mystery about future policy. « In 2025, we will continue to decide and I will also ask you to decide on some of these determining issues »he declared. A statement that brings to mind one or more referendums during the year. A political path already opened in the past by Emmanuel Macron, but which has never been put in place. Will 2025 be a year different from the others in this regard? ?
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