Environmental NGOs concerned about its ecological ambitions

Greenpeace and WWF France reacted quickly on Thursday to the appointment of this former minister and right-wing figure. The associations expressed doubts about Michel Barnier’s ability to respond to the environmental crisis.

Following in the footsteps of many politicians, several environmental protection associations reacted to the appointment of Michel Barnier to Matignon on Thursday, September 5. Greenpeace France expresses “his concern” in a press release entitled: “The ecological and social renewal will not take place.” WWF France “urges the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, to strengthen the government’s commitments to ecological transition and the protection of biodiversity”, wrote the NGO in a press release on Thursday.

For Greenpeace France, this nomination “is part of the continuity of an ultra-liberal policy repeatedly denounced by our organization for its incompatibility with the challenges of radically transforming our economic system in order to respond to the environmental and social crisis”, while “Millions of citizens went to the polls to place the left bloc, led by the New Popular Front, at the top of the legislative elections.”

On the choice of Michel Barnier more specifically, Greenpeace France recognizes a “sincere interest” from him “for environmental issues and a concrete assessment of these subjects”but “doubts its ability to respond concretely and quickly to the imperatives dictated by the current ecological crisis.”

“Greenpeace France activists will be in the streets on Saturday, September 7 to respond to the call launched by the Student Union and the High School Union for a demonstration against the authoritarian coup by President Emmanuel Macron.”the press release concludes.

The World Wide Fund for Nature believes that “The previous legislature was marked by serious setbacks, particularly in terms of fair remuneration for water, agricultural transition, protection of species, and more generally, financing of the ecological transition”The WWF also points out that Michel Barnier was “Minister of the Environment and Minister of Agriculture” and asks him and his government to “putting these issues back at the forefront of its actions.”

“The Prime Minister has the power to change things, in particular by placing ecology at the heart of government action to protect the French, create jobs and support resilient economic activity and agriculture”believes Véronique Andrieux, general director of WWF France. She assures that the WWF remains “fully mobilized for a finance bill capable of financing the fair and desirable ecological transition in the service of the French, particularly the most disadvantaged.”