The French president, Emmanuel Macron, vehemently defended this Tuesday the task carried out since he arrived at the Elysée in May 2017, and has drawn an optimistic perspective for the country in the coming years, despite the national challenges and the difficult international situation. In a massive press conference at the presidential palace, the head of state presented various initiatives to increase purchasing power, fight against low birth rates, stop crime linked to drug trafficking and improve education so that France does not miss the boat. technological.
In a previous statement that he read, before submitting to questions, the French president vindicated the work done during the last six and a half years, especially the creation of two million jobs and the opening of 300 factories, as well as other achievements. as "massive reinvestment" in the Armed Forces.
"We have not finished our history of progress," said the head of the Elysée, and was convinced that new generations will live better than the current ones. Macron insisted that by appointing Gabriel Attal, only 34 years old, as prime minister, a commitment has been made to "boldness, action and effectiveness."
The press conference was part of what Macron spent weeks announcing as a "meeting with the nation" to explain his plans for the three and a half years he has left in the Elysée. The president needs a political relaunch before the European elections in June, in which the extreme right, according to polls, can achieve an important victory. It remains to be seen, however, if the long intervention contributes to overcoming the disbelief of the French, a little tired of media maneuvers and presidential rhetoric.
One of the points addressed by the president was the restoration of order in the face of crime, with emphasis on the fight against drug trafficking, a scourge that is spreading to more and more cities. According to Macron, the recently approved new immigration law will contribute to the success of the fight against drug trafficking. And he promised ten anti-drug operations every week.
Macron stressed the need to reindustrialize the country and accelerate technological renewal to guarantee the country's economic sovereignty. To do this, he wants to continue eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and unleash all the potential that the country treasures. He advocated further reform of the labor market to better match supply and demand.
In the financial field, the president hinted that the imbalances in the accounts - the deficit and the debt - are not the main problem, that "the heart of the battle is to increase activity and wealth", which will automatically reduce the financial problem. current.
Concerned about the low birth rate - recent data are alarming - Macron regretted that France is no longer an exception in Europe. Among the announcements, which must be specified, "a birth permit" that will mean six months for both parents to take care of their baby. He also advanced a great plan against infertility.
Aware of the unrest in the middle and lower middle classes, Macron recognized that there is what he called "the France of the blind spot", the millions of people whose income is higher than the threshold below which would allow them to receive public aid, but too low. to live with dignity. His idea is to find ways, with companies, so that their salaries increase. For civil servants, the objective is that, in addition to seniority, the merit and performance of public employees be taken more into account in their salaries.
Asked about the extreme right, Macron was very harsh with Marine Le Pen's party, the National Regroupment (RN), which he accused of clamorous contradictions in recent years regarding European politics. The president highlighted how much Europe has contributed to the well-being and wealth of France and the entire continent. For the head of state, the RN, "like all the extreme right in Europe, is above all and above all, the party of collective impoverishment" and "the party of lies."
Regarding the greatest threat to France, Macron did not hesitate and said it was Russian aggression in Ukraine. "We cannot let Russia win," he emphasized, as that would permanently destabilize all of Europe and make life very difficult for the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania, the Caucasus states, and Russia's other neighbors.
Macron avoided stealing all the limelight from Attal, who plans to present his program before both chambers of Parliament on January 30. The young prime minister sat in the front row, dressed in a suit and tie the same color as the president.
