Guest of “Everything is political” on franceinfo Thursday May 7, Aurore Lalucq, MEP at Place Publique, returned to the economic consequences of the conflict in the Middle East for the French.
This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the interview above. Click on the video to watch it in its entirety.
Sonia Chironi: Isn’t this fuel crisis, these energy crises which will undoubtedly repeat themselves, an opportunity to reinvest massively in rail?
France Info: Yes, obviously. And besides, we see it. You also talked about it on this set a few minutes ago, I believe, about the fact that many French people will use the train. This is also a way of dealing with the crisis through solutions. We don’t talk about it enough, but rail is one way. Perhaps playing on train tickets could be one of the solutions at a time when we will have to pay attention to our fuel consumption. Then I would also like to salute the work of truth or falsehood. Because at a time when there is a lot of disinformation, where we are in a hybrid war, to have elements of explanation, of recontextualization, without scorning what is said, but by showing, it is excessively important in these times. Thank you so much.
We are obviously going to talk about the fuel crisis. What would you do if your candidate was elected, Raphaël Glucksmann, very concretely? Already on the war against Iran Hormuz, do you welcome the strategic decision of President Emmanuel Macron to bring the Charles de Gaulle, the aircraft carrier closer to the Detroit?
I think it had to be done. I think it was done under conditions that were rather interesting, that is to say that everyone was warned, so it was well done. It’s also well done in the sense that France is not going there alone. There is a coalition of several countries. And then we can see that it’s reassuring. In reality, I believe that we didn’t want this situation. Once again, it’s an external shock. We were not warned of this war. Nobody was. We’re walking on eggshells. It’s extremely difficult to make decisions. This one, I think, is welcome.
Who does this reassure?
This also reassures economic decision-makers. This also reassures the markets. This reassures insurers. And it’s not just to reassure the financial markets, all that, in reality. This is to give a little predictability to the economy. Because we see very clearly that giving predictability to the economy has positive social consequences.
“Allied but not aligned”, that’s what Sébastien Lecornu says, using De Gaulle’s formula. There will be a before and after Hormuz, according to you? Whatever happens, whatever document is signed, the peace agreement?
Whatever happens, yes, because already, from an economic point of view, if everything started working again right away, now, like that, as before the start of this war, the economic consequences, it would already be two years to absorb. So, we must realize that economically, the shock is enormous. It’s absolutely huge. We have international trade that is disrupted, supply chains that are disrupted, production that is disrupted. Finally, everything is disrupted.
Nathalie Saint-Cricq: Do you consider that we are doing enough in France, knowing that in other European countries, it is highlighted that there are additional efforts, in particular on the price of gasoline to try to reduce the bill for nationals? Do we do what we can, as Sébastien Lecornu said, because we no longer have any money? Or do you, President, consider doing more by considering, for example, lowering VAT a little? Yes, there are a number of things that need to be done.
I’m quite happy because we’re starting to return to a slightly more rational economic debate. We must realize that at the start of the crisis, there were still people who explained to us that there was a prize pool. There are still people, not to call it the National Rally, who were explaining that in a period of crisis, the State was making money, whereas here, we are experiencing a tax loss this month on fuel issues, etc. So there was all this that was put in the heads of the French. Then, we were told, we are going to remove all taxes.
What I would have done, in any case, I have already said in reality, is that we must provide targeted aid. For what ? Because…that’s what the government does. And tax super profits, which the government does not do. And frankly, we will also have to look at the situation on a day-to-day basis. For what ? Because we are in an extremely unstable situation. where anything can happen. And often, and I say this as an economist, what I find terrible is that we create a kind of totem with certain economic tools. There are some who will be anti-tax, others pro-tax, others pro-price blocking, etc. I’ll tell you something, it depends. And it will depend more and more. And having taken stock with the president of the Eurogroup, the minister, and the group of European finance ministers, we are all aligned on this, that is to say that we will have to, in fact, measure things better each time.
This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the interview above. Click on the video to watch it in its entirety.
