A traditional but yet unique way of speaking. This Tuesday, October 1, the new Prime Minister Michel Barnier presented his general policy statement before an agitated National Assembly. An exercise to which all newly appointed heads of government lend themselves but which, this time, is more like a balancing act. Without a majority, Michel Barnier must convince the central bloc – whose support is not guaranteed – but also the National Rally (RN). The far-right party and its allies could indeed vote for motion of censure that the New Popular Front (NFP) plans to table in the coming days, and therefore bring down the government.
“Do more to fight climate change”
“We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” It is with this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that Michel Barnier introduces the part of his speech devoted to “ecological debt”. The man who was Minister of the Environment between 1993 and 1995 emphasizes that France’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen, and that it is possible and necessary to “do more to fight climate change”.
He then recalls that he believes “in a ecology of solutions” – an expression also used by the Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher – and emphasizes that “the ecological transition must be one of the drivers of [la] industrial policy: decarbonization of factories, encouragement of innovation, establishment of new transition industries” or even “strengthening [des] recycling channels.
Concerning energies, the Prime Minister announced the continued development of nuclear power and new reactors – to the applause of many deputies from the central bloc – but also of renewable energies such as wind power, “by better measuring all their impacts”. To decarbonize heat and gas production, Michel Barnier intends valorize biomass and he wishes to develop the French biofuels sector for aviation.
“Rebuilding trust”
“We are going to better target support for individuals and businesses for the thermal renovation of buildings” he continues, before specifying that in the meantime, the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) would be simplified and its schedule adapted. A reduction in energy expenditure which will also apply to the State and its operators and which will rely on tools such as the French energy-climate strategy, the third National Plan for adaptation to climate change and the new multi-annual energy programming.
Finally, to respond to the issues linked to droughts, floods, water use conflicts, groundwater pollution and soaring water prices, Michel Barnier promises the organization of a major national conference.
In total, the new Prime Minister will have only allocated a few minutes to ecological subjects out of a declaration lasting more than an hour. And, as is the practice of declaring general policy, he will only have set out the broad outlines of his program. Broad lines often booed by certain NFP deputies, calling Michel Barnier a “liar” or accusing him of reducing the Green Fund. “I am convinced that we can find a path of realism and action which involves contracts everywhere rather than constraint, and which allows us, step by step, to rebuild trust,” concludes the Prime Minister.
Ahead of his speech, Michel Barnier consulted unions, employers and the presidents of groups in the Assembly and held a government seminar on September 27. And if tax increases were expected, the rest of his program had remained confidential until now. In a context of major budget deficit — 6% of GDP — the measures announced for ecology risk finding themselves in the background. Especially since to avoid censorship, guarantees will have to be provided to the RN, fiercely opposed to what it calls “punitive ecology”. Environmental defense associations say they are worried. “The operators of the ecological transition will pay the price for budget cuts,” laments Jean Burkard, director of advocacy at WWF France.
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