Says he respects Macron’s figure and rules out a “solely right-wing” government 6 Sep. () –
France’s new conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Friday raised the possibility of “reopening the debate” to achieve “an improvement” to the pension system, a reform that sparked strong protests in France last year.
Barnier has indicated that, although the new French government “is not going to question everything”, it does plan to “open debates to improve this law”, as he explained during an interview with the French television channel TF1, where he specified that these improvements are in line with “respect for the budgetary framework”.
“I hope to be there until the end of the legislature, and I do not want to increase the debt during that time,” he clarified before pointing out that he does not rule out “greater fiscal justice.” “I will tell the new ministers to use public money better,” he said.
In this regard, he stressed the importance of economic growth: “This does not come from the sky, it comes from businesses, from farmers, from fishermen, from French people abroad, from the overseas departments… There are many assets in this country, there are reasons for hope.”
On his relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, Barnier said that despite their differences there is “respect”. “I have respect for him, we are not in a situation of cohabitation like in the past,” he said before stressing that “the government must govern and the president must preside.”
GOVERNMENT AND MIGRATION
He also specified that his “will not be a government of the right alone” and regretted the lack of respect experienced in the political sphere in recent years. “Due to crises such as COVID-19 and the war, we may not have worked collectively enough. I will respect all political forces, because all citizens are necessary. Good ideas do not always come from above, they often come from below,” he explained.
Regarding upcoming ministerial appointments, he said that “there will be people” from his “political family” and left the door open to the inclusion of “outgoing ministers.” When asked about the possibility of having left-wing ministers, Barnier responded affirmatively.
On migration issues, he has advocated controlling flows with “concrete measures” given that “there is still a feeling that borders are sieves that are not under control,” he said before emphasizing that the 11 million French people who voted for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party also count.
“I have not had any arguments with Ms Le Pen. I do not have much in common with the ideologies of the National Rally, but I respect her,” he said.
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