Not yet a candidate, but already in the campaign. Emmanuel Macron responded for two hours, Wednesday, December 15 on TF1, to questions from journalists Darius Rochebin and Audrey Crespo-Mara. An interview during which the Head of State returned to his five-year term at length, defending his record, but also projecting himself towards a possible second term, without officially declaring himself. Back to the main sequences to remember from this media exercise criticized by the opposition.
The hypothesis of a vaccination obligation “exists”
The President of the Republic was first questioned about the health crisis. As the fifth wave rages on and the Omicron variant progresses, Emmanuel Macron highlighted “the three pillars” which allow, according to him, to fight effectively against the virus: vaccination, the sanitary pass and the strict respect of the barrier gestures. On vaccination, the Head of State called for everyone’s responsibility. “We must vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate! I invite everyone to make an appointment, because even when you have had your two doses, after a few months, you are not sufficiently protected”, he hammered.
The hypothesis of a vaccination obligation “exist”he also said, acknowledging that it was almost already in place and believing the need for regular reminders likely. “We are almost at the vaccination obligation, when you have 90% of people who can be vaccinated who have done so.” Finally, Emmanuel Macron, who pointed out that the virus “turns a lot” in children, urged parents to have them vaccinated, while leaving them the choice.
A president won by “humility” in the face of the health crisis
Still concerning the health crisis, Emmanuel Macron confided at length on “humility” that she taught him. “It made me touch the most unbearable inequalities, especially when I met parents in Seine-Saint-Denis who told me that if their children no longer went to school, they would no longer be able to eat”, he confided.
At the end of the show, Emmanuel Macron sketched out a declaration of love to the French: “I have learned to love the French better. I love France even more madly than before. We are a people who trusted a young man of 39 years old.”
The contours of a new pension reform
Emmanuel Macron assures that he wants to continue to carry the pension reform which could not be voted on during the five-year term, “We need to lead this reform, but not in the same way”, he said. According to him, “it is clear that we will now have to work longer”. The head of state no longer seems excited by the idea of a single pension plan – “too anxiety-provoking” – to replace the dozens of existing regimes. However, he said he was in favor of the abolition of special regimes and a simplification around three major regimes: that of civil servants, that of private employees and that of the self-employed.
“No regrets” for having appointed Nicolas Hulot to the government
The tenant of the Elysee Palace also returned to the Nicolas Hulot affair and the accusations of sexual assault brought by several women against his former Minister of Ecology. “In 2018, I saw Nicolas Hulot, an obviously injured man who denied with a lot of force”, he explained, thus justifying the choice not to have removed him from the government, in the absence of a pending judicial investigation (a complaint had been filed in 2008 and dismissed). The President of the Republic also said that he had no regrets for having appointed him minister.
Saying to himself “intractable” on the subject of violence against women, Emmanuel Macron recalled having “placed this subject at the heart of [son] five year term”. He also recalled having “trained police officers” to the reception of women victims of domestic violence and to have extended the reception capacity of the listening number 3919.
“I hurt people”: regretted little phrases
After several “little phrases” which have been controversial since 2017, Emmanuel Macron admitted in “to regret” some, but was justified by evoking “a society of decontextualization”. “The sentence that is unacceptable is the one where I talk about ‘successful people and those who are nothing'”, he admitted, while trying to re-explain the context of this statement, facing entrepreneurs. “In some of what I said, I hurt people. I think you can make things happen without hurting people, and that’s what I wouldn’t do again. By the time I did, I didn’t. didn’t realize I was hurting. “
A president not yet officially a candidate
On his probable candidacy for the presidential election of 2022, Emmanuel Macron kicked in touch several times. “As I speak to you, I still have to make decisions and pass the fifth wave. Yes, I have ambition for my country, but I still have to take on the role that is mine. “, he hammered. The head of state also added that he “would act until the last quarter of an hour and that he would continue to project himself to a vision of the country at ten years”.