Socialist candidate for the presidency of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem targets the record of outgoing president (LR) Laurent Wauquiez.
And delivers the details of its priority measure: a "new social contract for youth".
As a former Minister of National Education, what do you think of the terms of the start of the school year?
NAJAT VALLAUD-BELKACEM.
Everyone prefers open schools to closed schools.
But the conditions under which this re-entry takes place are not satisfactory.
There is an obvious lack of preparation.
Priority should have been given to vaccinating all teachers.
Replacements have not been foreseen to ensure pedagogical continuity.
Some of the teaching continues to be done remotely, but digital tools have been undersized again causing bugs.
In Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the polls put you far behind Laurent Wauquiez.
Isn't the step too high?
I am not getting involved in this fight to have the red carpet rolled out for me, but for convictions and out of necessity to change regional policy. Because since 2015, Laurent Wauquiez has been leading an anti-social policy, without economic management or regional planning. A policy of permanent cleavage which prevents the preparation of the major ecological transitions to come. He prides himself on having made savings in the region, but he drew them from the pockets of the poorest: by putting an end to social tariffs in transport, in canteens, by drying up vocational training ... Those that the region is supposed to protect are no longer. Instead, 300 million euros will have been distributed to roads and highways that are not under regional jurisdiction.
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem wants "a primary of the left to designate a common candidate" for 2022. LP / Delphine Goldsztejn
The left leaves in dispersed order.
Do you hope for a union of the left-wing lists in the second round, especially with environmentalists?
Yes naturally.
We have been talking to other leftist forces for months, including on the future governance of the region.
By the evening of the first round, we will be able to come together and it will go quickly and smoothly.
I have no doubts about it.
What will be your top priority if you are elected?
I want to propose a new social contract for youth. We owe it to him. It will be an extremely ambitious plan of 200 million euros each year to come to the aid of the young people today delivered to the difficulties and which will mobilize all the fields of competence of the region, with an obligation of result. In particular, I will increase the number of vocational training entries from 100,000 to 500,000 over the entire mandate. Through a regional land company, we will build high environmental quality homes for young people, including coworking spaces. I will help young modest workers to access homeownership with up to 40% reduction in the cost of housing. Finally, I plan for free transport for the most precarious under 25s, school transport,TER tickets for one euro on weekends for all 16-25 year olds returning home, or a fleet of electric bikes for long-term rental for shorter journeys. I want both a historic ambition of reconstruction and revival for this “Covid generation” which is also the “Climate generation”.
What do you think of Yannick Jadot's initiative to bring together the lefts?
She is very welcome.
Everything must be done to present a common candidate.
If this candidate largely embraces the convictions of the left as much as of environmentalists, it does not matter what training he is from.
My preference goes to Anne Hidalgo who has succeeded, in Paris, despite all the pitfalls, to make a plural majority work.
I am in favor of a primary of the left to designate a common candidate in the course of the fall, after that of the ecologists.
We must get over the bad memory of the 2017 primary.
In this union, do you include rebellious France?
I think it should.
I know that LFI already has its candidate and that it does not intend to give it up.
The work started by Yannick Jadot could continue with more in-depth work with the Insoumis, in particular on the issue of the project.
LFI sympathizers are left sympathizers.
And I have no opponent on the left.
If you ever fail to win the presidency of the region, what will you do?
I would sit in the opposition and I would continue to advance the issues in which I believe.
Are you thinking about showing up in 2022?
No.