François Hollande, President of the Republic between 2012 and 2017, was the guest of “8:30 a.m. franceinfo”, Thursday 13 October 2022. Fuel shortage, World Cup in Qatar, war in Ukraine, state of the left… He answers questions from Marc Fauvelle and Salhia Brakhlia.
Exceptional bonus offered by TotalEnergies: “a first gesture of appeasement”
François Hollande greets “a first gesture of appeasement” from TotalEnergies, which plans on Thursday, October 13 to award a “exceptional bonus” to all of its employees. The former head of state believes that says he “should have opened negotiations and announced these measures earlier”. If he advocates “dialogue”the former tenant of the Élysée recognizes that it is also necessary “avoid a paralysis of the French economy”. It does not totally reject the requisitions of personnel decided by the government, because they “will begin to be justified”.
World Cup in Qatar: “no information on the conditions” for awarding the competition
François Hollande affirms that he “had no information on the conditions that were laid down for the awarding of the World Cup [de football au Qatar] in connection with the sale of Rafale” in 2015. The investigation cell of Radio France and Complément d’Enquête (France 2) revealed this Thursday, October 13 that justice is investigating the sons of the awarding of the Football World Cup to Qatar, to find out if France has monetized its support in exchange for counterparties, and in particular the sale of combat aircraft in 2015.
>> SURVEY. 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: behind the scenes of the Élysée lunch that changed everything
François Hollande asserts that after his election in 2012, “it took long and difficult negotiations to achieve this sale”. He thus explains not “to have signed” sales contracts, but it is “the Dassault company” who took care of it.
War in Ukraine: “Negotiation cannot be on the agenda”
After the annexation of four Ukrainian territories by Russia, “negotiation cannot be on the agenda”, believes François Hollande. The former head of state considers this negotiation “out of reach”, “not appropriate”because it would create “an extremely serious precedent”. “It would mean that a coup, an invasion can be rewarded”, he explains. According to François Hollande, such a negotiation “would mean that China could tomorrow intervene in Taiwan without being endangered”that the “Turkey could take a number of actions in Syria”or “Iran could carry out operations in the Middle East” without being worried.
Nuclear deterrence: “In these cases, we must say as little as possible”
Emmanuel Macron promised, on France 2 on Wednesday evening, that there would be no French nuclear response in the event of a tactical nuclear attack by Russia on Ukraine. “We have to stop there” in the explanations, judge François Hollande. He estimates that “on deterrence, credibility is not saying anything about what we would have to do”. “In these cases, you have to say as little as possible and be ready to do as much as possible”he adds.
Socialist Party: “When we make 3% we shut up and leave our place”
“When we make 3% [aux élections] we are silent”, launches François Hollande at the head of the Socialist Party. The former President of the Republic attacks, without naming him, the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure. “When you have been in charge of a party for five years and you are not able to present a candidacy for the European elections, or to have a credible program in the presidential election, you keep quiet and leave room for those who want to constitute a great socialist force”protests François Hollande, former boss of the PS from 1997 to 2008.
He also denounces “radical positions” of the NUPES, its “form of permanent protest” and his “‘inability to make useful suggestions’. François Hollande is sorry to “state of the left”where “a leader is denounced for his private life [affaire Julien Bayou]where an MP is being held for having committed an act of violence against his spouse [affaire Adrien Quatennens] and where we’re going to summon barbecues and patriarchy at every opportunity.”
Find the entire “8:30 franceinfo” of Thursday, October 13, 2022: