Focus on "600 days". For the first time since his election, Emmanuel Macron has agreed to submit to the traditional July 14 interview this Tuesday afternoon. Questioned by TF1 and France 2, live from the Élysée Palace, the Head of State returned to the very many current affairs of the past few weeks, starting with the fear of an epidemic rebound in the coronavirus. Then he clarified the contours of the "new path" in which he wants to project the country, to face the economic and social crisis of the coming years. So many projects that will have to be mentioned again in detail by Prime Minister Jean Castex during his general policy speech, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the National Assembly and then Thursday in the Senate.
Read also: Why Macron finally returns to the traditional July 14 interview
LIVE - Follow the latest information on the day of July 14
● Macron acknowledges the “detestation” against him but deplores the “hatred”
Contrary to his 2017 promise, Emmanuel Macron admitted that he had "failed" to reconcile the French. The head of state particularly regrets having "not shown enough" the "path to justice" he wished to trace, to allow everyone to achieve "excellence" in the Republic. And this "whatever his first name, whatever the family where we were born, his religion, his skin color" . Emmanuel Macron considers that it is because of this failure that "people began to hate this president" , which gave the impression of speaking only to the "best". "This detestation could have been fueled" according to him by "blunders" and "short sentences" . However, the head of state said that " hatred is not acceptable in a democracy".
● "I pay tribute to É douard Philippe"
The head of state paid tribute to his former prime minister a week after appointing his successor, Jean Castex, to Matignon: "The method used during the first three years of the quinquennium has made it possible to carry out unprecedented reforms, that we thought was impossible , he congratulated himself. I pay tribute to Edouard Philippe and to the government ”. But "a political page in the life of the country" turns, according to the head of state, justifying a change of prime minister. "Because we cannot say that we are using a new path, a new method and saying that we are doing with the same team," he explained.
● With Castex, Macron still believes in "political overcoming"
It was Jean Castex's local roots that led to his appointment as Prime Minister. "He is an elected official from the field, not from a big city […] who knew very well what life is like for local elected officials, our communities, the proximity that we need", praised the chief of the 'State, while sweeping its coming from the right. “ I believe in going beyond French politics. Our fellow citizens elected me on this , assured Emmanuel Macron. When the stimulus arrives, we ask that it be effective and fair, not that it be left or right. "
● Macron "shares" the feminist cause but supports Darmanin in the face of "street judgments"
No question of changing the Minister of the Interior. Affected by a rape complaint - whose investigation was reopened "for formal reasons" after having been "classified or (having) given rise to a lack of follow-up" on three occasions -, Gérald Darmanin received the support of 'Emmanuel Macron. Even if he "respects" and "shares" the "feminist cause" and the "anger" of the victims, as he shows in his assessment of the fight against violence against women, the Head of State is is posed as "guarantor of the presumption of innocence" . Refusing to "give in to constant emotion" or to fall into a "democracy of opinion" , the president denounced "street judgments or social networks" . Then he said that the new tenant at Place Beauvau was "injured by these attacks" . "There is a relationship of trust from man to man (between him and me)" , he concluded.
● Mandatory masks in public places closed from August 1
Given the "uncertainty" about the health situation, the Head of State wishes, from August 1, "make the mask mandatory in all enclosed public places" , judging that his port has become today " erratic ” . Recalling that "there are, in many neighboring countries, signs of a rise" of the virus, the president welcomed the fact that the tests have been "widely deployed" in France, at nearly 370,000 per week. In case of a second wave, " we will be ready," insisted the head of state. "We are doing everything to avoid a new wave and to have a differentiated approach, " he added, dismissing the prospect of a general confinement to the whole territory.
● Macron distances himself from Raoult and chloroquine: "There is no stabilized treatment"
"No" . Even if he had Covid-19, Emmanuel Macron would not be treated with chloroquine. "There is no stabilized treatment ," he warned, before recalling that "we are the country of the Enlightenment" . " I believe in rationality, and therefore in scientific rationality (...). It is not for the President of the Republic or for a politician to settle a scientific debate with politicians. (…) Science is the verification process and that's how we get better, ” he swept. Should this be seen as a disavowal of Professor Didier Raoult, to whom he nevertheless visited in April? “ He is a great scientist. (…) It was normal and legitimate, from my point of view, for him to participate in the scientific debate ” , he dodged.
● Faced with a “massive increase” in unemployment, Macron defends its action
Asked about a figure from INSEE which forecasts 900,000 more unemployed at the end of 2020, the President of the Republic conceded that the country was going to experience "social plans and a massive increase in unemployment" . He also defended his partial unemployment scheme, which affected nearly 13 million French people. “It was legitimate because there was a fire in the house, so we didn't count the buckets. We have done what no country in the world has decided. I say this because we can be proud of France sometimes and in this case, I think we should. ”
● Tax exemptions for young graduates
Asked about the 700,000 young people who will enter the job market in September, the president first announced that "youth must be the priority of this recovery" . And to specify a series of measures, among which a device of exemption from the loads for the young people, in particular for the weak qualifications or the jobs until 1.6 SMIC. The president also announced the establishment of 300,000 “integration contracts ” for apprenticeships that will “go and find young people who have not managed to find a business” . Finally, he announced the opening of 200,000 places to complete the training " for young people who were to enter the job market this year".
● The pension reform is "fair" and favors "modest occupations"
There is no question of abandoning the pension reforms, put on hold by confinement. Emmanuel Macron recalled it. "Is it a good idea to give it up completely?" I don't think so, ” he said first, recognizing that perhaps it should be amended and “ put back into concertation ” . The president defended a reform "just" and "made for those who were called the first of chores" , ie cashiers, delivery men, "modest trades". Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that in this reform, "we were going back on the advantages that had been acquired over time by other regimes, for example special regimes" , but cut speculation about the financing of the reform (working more , postpone the pivotal age ...) by ensuring that "it is not for the President of the Republic to strike down a July 14th what will be the pension reform".
● The president requests a “moderation of dividends”
Emmanuel Macron was also questioned about the famous job safeguard plans (PES), which promise to keep jobs in exchange for compensation, such as a cut in wages or a limitation of days off. He justified the possibility "that there are wages that we agree to lower momentarily rather than layoffs " because "sometimes it takes years to return to work" . Emmanuel Macron has put on the balance of these wage cuts a "moderation of dividends" which has been "requested from companies [which the State] abounds ". "If the employees are told to make an effort, the shareholder must make an effort too, " he said. Finally, Emmanuel Macron announced a device of 30 billion euros "to supplement salaries, finance training and [bring employees to] the business sectors where there are opportunities" .
● A referendum "as soon as possible" on the inclusion of ecology in the Constitution
The Head of State does indeed intend to take up the proposals of the Climate Convention. Starting with the inclusion of "the objective of fighting global warming and respecting biodiversity in our constitutional text" . "Favorable" to this "major advance" , which "will create law and (…) help transform our country" , Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to call a referendum "as soon as possible" . This presupposes first of all having this proposal adopted by the Assembly and the Senate "as soon as possible" , before submitting it to the French vote.
● Macron draws up “ten-year objectives” but does not comment on 2022
Asked several times about his willingness to run for a second term, Emmanuel Macron brushed aside an "untimely question [...] Why would you want me to decide today to lock myself into another calendar than the democratic calendar?" If the Head of State recalled that "there are things over which the French people are sovereign and that is how it is", he nevertheless called for having an "objective for the country at ten years" : " to make France stronger by responding to problems it had not been able to deal with in calm weather. "
