A lot of people, of course, are looking at what's happening in France with the
big strikes over the pension reform. Are you excluding dropping the change in
the minimum wage? Yes, I think that we put on the table
with Macron and Prime Minister Borne, which is a necessity for
France. Everybody can understand that there are
some oppositions. We are a democracy.
So we fully recognize the rights of everybody to oppose the reform.
But we also strongly believe that this reform is a necessity for France.
Is the best way of protecting a pension system, is the best way of ensuring more
prosperity for the French people. So we will stick to that reform, even
if, of course, there will be a debate in the French parliament and induce him
work off the debate within the French parliament.
Some might be some improvements of the reform.
So what kind of way what kind of overhauls could you make, if not the
minimum age? Minimum age is one of the key pillars of
the reform. And we want to reform to be efficient
for all the French people. But if some of the MP's are asking for
more justice in some very specific parts of the reform, we will open the
discussion. And once again, or a state of mind is an
open one. Minister, talk to me about how much
France is losing because of the straits economically.
How much are they costing? I don't think that strikes do have a
very important economic impact on the economy. It could damage the French economy.
The French economy's doing well. We have a pretty strong level of growth.
We are creating jobs. We have a high level of investment.
We have a very low inflation. So I'm deeply convinced that France is
doing well and the French economy's doing well.
And I do think that the strikes will not hurt the French economy.
So there is no chance that there is that that it actually impacts it so that
there's a bit of a recession. You see it as minimal, because I always
explain that I don't believe in a recession in France.
I think that with President Macron we have taken the right decisions to fight
inflation. And once again, we have a very low level
of inflation. We also have taken the right decision at
the beginning of the formal mandate by introducing a total overhaul of the
French taxation system. We stick to the offer policy.
We stick to the policy of reforms with the view of creating more jobs, more
growth and more prosperity for the French people.
And we are on the right track. Mr.
Minister, you will also go to the US with your German counterpart in
February. Mainly I'm here to talk about the
Inflation Reduction Act. Do you think you will get any
concessions? I hope so.
I've been discussing with Senator Manchin yesterday.
You know, we have, I would say in Europe a double track approach on the one side.
We want to get some concessions and some exemptions from the American side.
Emmanuel Macron has been to Washington. This visit has been a great success.
And I would say a friendly visit. So we are expecting some concessions
from our American friends. But there is also another way, which is
to put in place a kind of European inflation reduction if we want.
Yes. And the question is, where do we want to
put the money? Where do we want to put the European
money? Do we want to put the European money in
buying foreign goods, following devices foreign electric car batteries?
Or do we want to put European money in investing indoors, strategic devices,
electric car batteries, hydrogen, solar panels, chips on all of those goods?
There is a need for more investment and there is a need also for acting in a
quicker way, because time is a time is of the essence.
We need to be more independent. Minister, do you think there is enough
appetite for European leaders to come together and do exactly what you laid
out? I think so.
I really think so. You know, that will be on Sunday, a very
important meeting between President Macron and some sort of choice and the
two French and German governments. And we are working on this idea of a new
European industrial policy. And with all that havoc, we have made
some very strong proposals for this new European policy, which must be more
efficient with the view of being more independent on those strategic assets.
There has been yesterday a very important summit.
Ambassador, now between President Sánchez and President Macron and we were
exactly on. Same truck.
The I.D. is Europe must be the third power
between China and the US. And if we want to play that whole in the
21st century, we need to have our own car batteries are on.
But on hydrogen or on chips, Minister, do you think the US and Europe are
aligned on how to treat and deal with China?
I think that they would just say Gap. He would say, and we are all aware of
that. The US want to oppose China.
We want to engage China. And I strongly believe that in the
world, a game show, numbers in China cannot be out there.
Let's have a look at true reality. Everybody's speaking about these
tensions. Your positions between the US and China
and the determination of the US to decouple from China.
But do reality, either deliver of trade between China and the US has never been
so high. So between the statements and reality,
there is a gap. And let's have a look at our own
interest or own interest if we want to be efficient and successful in the fight
against climate change is to have China on board.
If we want to be a possibility and have more trade or on interest for both the
US and Europe is to have China on board. We want China to be by the symbols, to
be by intellectual property, to open its markets.
But the best way to obtain to reach that goal is more to engage China than to
oppose China. Mr Very quickly, a final question on the
UK. What kind of relationship do you think
Europe and the UK will have going forward, given the noise about a softer
Brexit or certainly a coming together? You know, I have two strong beliefs on
the UK. First, the Brexit has been a historical
mistake. This is the sovereign choice of the
British people, but it has been a historical mistake for the UK.
And second, the UK is a great friend of France and must remain a great friend of
France. So I think that everything that we can
do to we enforce the economic ties to financial ties between the UK and France
will go on the right direction. You know that they have an excellent
relationship with the prime minister, which she is unique.
And I strongly believe that sticking to that very history we call a friendly
relationship between the UK and France is absolutely key.