François-Xavier Bellamy, MEP Les Républicains was the guest of the 8:30 a.m. franceinfoTuesday April 4, 2023. End of life, pension reform and military programming law… He answers questions from Marc Fauvelle and Salhia Brakhlia.
End of life: “this method poses a major democratic problem”
“I do not dispute the work of the citizens’ convention”, says François-Xavier Bellamy, “but I think that this method poses a major democratic problem”. First, by the fact that the participants were drawn by lot: “Does this mean that our institutions are not democratic?”, asks the MEP. But also because he considers that the debates were “oriented” and that they took place in “opacity”.
In the case of both euthanasia and assisted suicide, “it’s the idea that death can be administered as a cure”believes François-Xavier Bellamy. “Today science and medicine can put an end to suffering, and when it is too great, we must tell ourselves that we have failed”. The MEP ensures that the “two thirds of people who could need palliative care in France do not have access to it today”. He pleads for a better application of the existing law and assures that a referendum would be “more transparent”.
Pension reform:We absolutely have to work harder”
“For France to get out of decommissioning and reduce its debt, it is absolutely necessary that we work more”assures François-Xavier Bellamy, who repeats the need for reform.
On the dissident elected LRs who voted for the motion of censure in the National Assembly, he believes that “everyone votes with their conscience, they have the right to their freedom on the subject”.
Military programming law: “We have under-invested in recent years”
Presented to the Council of Ministers today, the military programming law plans to mobilize 413 billion euros over the period 2024-2030, a doubling of the budget compared to 2017. “It’s an important step” concedes the MEP, who speaks of a “necessary trajectory”. But he wonders about the planned schedule: “Do we increase the budget at the end of the period, between 2026 and 2030 with all the uncertainties that includes or do we start now?”
On arms deliveries to Ukraine, François-Xavier Bellamy believes that France may not have the means to deliver more than what has already been promised. “We have underinvested in recent years”laments the MEP, “today the cost of rearmament will be major”. It calls for producing more and in Europe.
Fishing crisis: François-Xavier Bellamy says “understand the disgust of fishermen”
As the European Commission gives up on banning bottom trawling in marine protected areas, François-Xavier Bellamy says “understand the disgust of fishermen” since this proposal “was going to destroy 30% of French fishing activity”according to him.
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