"For the time being, Emmanuel Macron has not seen the green light", provoked EELV MEP Yannick Jadot again this weekend. However, it has been months since the President of the Republic fired all out to convince that he can embody ecology. He even recalled it again in his wishes of December 31, promising the French that the year 2020 would be that of the "new ecological model".
But for what result so far? If the abandonment of Notre-Dame-des-Landes, the EuropaCity mega-complex project north of Paris, such as that of the gold mine in Guyana and the announced closure of Fessenheim, appear to the credit of the Head of State, other questions remain. "We do not feel a desire to convert the whole of France to the ecological transition and I believe that it has not yet taken on the magnitude of the challenge to be met", attacks Michel Dubromel, the president of France nature environment .
“Since the start of his five-year term, he has been very strong in speeches but less so in results. France is still not on the right trajectory in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing renewable energy, etc. ”also goes Anne Bringault, responsible for energy transition at the Climate Action Network (RAC).
VIDEO. Presidential wishes: a “new ecological model” for 2020
So this Wednesday morning at the Elysée Palace, Emmanuel Macron will try to silence the bad tongues. At the foot of the wall and eagerly awaited on the subject, he will unveil a series of measures during the fourth Ecological Defense Council. They will be mainly devoted to the prevention of floods and coastal erosion - while France was again hit this week by a storm -, but also the extension of protected areas to 30% of the territory, and finally to the setting in place of a large ecological transition plan for the public services of the State.
A list of 20 commitments
On this last point, a list of 20 commitments will thus be presented. It will concern the 2.8 million state employees who will, for example, be able to take advantage of a sustainable mobility package of 200 euros for their trips to work by bicycle or by car-sharing. In the same vein, 500 additional charging stations for electric vehicles will be installed at state sites. As of March 2020, the purchase of new fuel oil boilers for public buildings, or the carrying out of heavy repair work on these boilers, will also be prohibited. In short, no shock announcements, even less "wow" effect. But the Elysée assumes: "We are really in everyday solutions, by writing down solutions for the long term", decrypts an adviser.
The head of state also does not forget the power of the images. Thursday, he will follow with a very symbolic trip to Haute-Savoie, on the Mer de Glace, the largest French glacier, today the victim of rising temperatures. “It is a physical marker of the evolution of the climate. It's happening right now, not in a century. So he wants to immerse himself in it and act, ”explains a relative. Besides, the president will not come empty-handed. On this occasion, he will present measures to further protect the Mont-Blanc massif, in particular against the incivilities committed in the ascent of the highest peak in Europe, and to preserve biodiversity.
"He needs to get green and doesn't know how to do it"
Enough to reassure public opinion, especially five weeks before the municipal elections where ecological questions are in the heads of all the candidates? At the Elysée Palace, we defend ourselves against wanting to make electoral opportunism. "We can still do ecology without being suspected of manipulation," sweeps, annoyed, a Macron advisor, while recalling that the subject is at the heart of Act 2 of the quinquennium.
Political Newsletter
Every day, political news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
READ ALSO> Macron and ecology, what is the problem?
For several months now, the president has been looking for the green nugget that would allow him to overturn the table and erase the image of a majority that postpones the emergency to the next day. The announcement of a ban on single-use plastics in 2040, in particular, hurt. "2022, he only thinks about that! He repeats that you have to start off being disruptive, but he needs to get green and does not know how to do it, confides an executive strategist. EuropaCity is good, but it doesn't print. It would take EuropaCity across the country! "
In the majority, some also urge the Head of State to bring up green figures on the front line. “It's very good to be on the regalien. But we need a stronger ecological presence. Why not Pascal Canfin? Shakes a regular at the Elysée Palace. Answer, perhaps, during a next redesign expected in early summer.