“I filed this Tuesday morning all the sponsorships necessary to officially be a candidate“, rejoiced Aurélien Pradié on franceinfo, Tuesday, October 11. The secretary general of the Republicans, candidate for the presidency of the party, also spoke about the announcements made by Elisabeth Borne concerning the requisitions. According to him, it was necessary do it because”it is impossible for a minority today to take all of our fellow citizens hostage.“
franceinfo: You are a candidate for the presidency of the Republicans, where are you with your sponsorships?
Aurelien Pradie: I filed this Tuesday morning all the sponsorships necessary to officially be a candidate. It was necessary to collect 400 and some sponsorships of members, we are at more than 3,000.
Do you approve of the requisitions announced by Elisabeth Borne concerning the Esso-ExxonMobil group?
This is what I have been asking for several days with several of my fellow LR deputies. Yes, it must be done. It is impossible for a minority today to take hostage – in such a difficult situation for the French – all of our fellow citizens. I think that the authority of the State could have been recalled earlier, both on the requisitions and on the mobilization of the strategic stock. It is unbearable that today some of our fellow citizens cannot get fuel to go to work.
In your opinion, requisitioning is a weapon to be handled with care?
Yes. This is why I say that we first had to use the strategic stocks which we did not use well, at least not soon enough. It seems to me that the government has not fully taken the measure of the impact that the shortage could have on the lives of the French. As for the requisition, the country is going through a moment that is not like the others. The right to strike must also be able to observe the way the country operates. At a time when our economic machine is in great difficulty, we are struggling to have access to energy, it is quite irresponsible to mobilize the strike and to take the French hostage in such a difficult period. As for the wage negotiations between Total and the employees, it is Total’s business and not that of the French who, on a daily basis, have asked for nothing.
On another subject, as a deputy for Lot, are you going to vote on the budget?
No, because we do not belong to Emmanuel Macron’s majority. The vote on the budget is not a technical vote but a political one. There is therefore no reason to enter into a form of coalition. That won’t stop me from getting things done for my country.