“The most effective sanctions are not those that hit the Russian people,” said MP Eric Coquerel

“You have to hit Putin’s friends.” The deputy of La France insoumise Eric Coquerel, guest Tuesday March 8 of the program “Votre moment politique” of franceinfo, affirmed his support for the economic sanctions against Moscow, almost two weeks after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. “[LFI] is against a military escalation and so that France does not return to war (…) in one way or another, so that it can keep its role of proposal in the negotiations. So that means that we need economic sanctions”he explained.

However, he considered that “the most effective sanctions are not those that hit the Russian people”corn “the oligarchs”. The deputy thus criticized the decision “unilateral” of Joe Biden to impose an embargo on US imports of Russian oil and gas.

While the war in Ukraine accentuates the rise in energy prices, Eric Coquerel has also called for a “debate” on the place of nuclear power in France. Emmanuel Macron had presented, in mid-February, a vast recovery plan for the sector, including in particular the construction of six second-generation EPRs. “In times of war, nuclear power can become extremely dangerous, we have seen the concern over power plants” Ukrainian forces in Chernobyl and Zaporizhia, theaters of clashes with Russian forces, Eric Coquerel confirmed. For the rebellious elected, the solution “goes through renewables”. “There are scenarios that believe it is possible”he insisted.