Immigration bill, end of life, Gérard Depardieu affair… What to remember from Emmanuel Macron’s interview in “C à vous”

For Emmanuel Macron, it’s the day after. The day after the adoption of the immigration bill in Parliament, the President of the Republic spoke at length on Wednesday, December 20. In the program “C à vous”, on France 5, which took place exceptionally at the Elysée, he outlined avenues to try to turn the page on this painful sequence for the majority, divided on a hardened text and validated by The Republicans and the National Rally. The far-right party, which “plays on fears”was particularly targeted during this interview.

Also questioned about the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the head of state defended France’s position “consistent” and compliant “to our values ​​and our interests”. A third of his term in office, Emmanuel Macron has turned towards a rich year 2024, which will notably see Paris host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Franceinfo returns to the main elements of this long interview.

The immigration bill is the “shield we were missing”

Emmanuel Macron was first responsible for providing after-sales service for the immigration bill, adopted in the Senate and the National Assembly on Tuesday evening, after long hours of negotiations between the presidential camp and the right, within the framework of of the joint joint commission. “It’s the result of a compromise, it’s the shield we were missing”, he defended, while part of his majority was cracked in the Assembly. The Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, who came from the left, even resigned on Wednesday. “That it offends certain parliamentarians and ministers is legitimate”he explained about a text which, according to him, relates to the “at the same time”.

Basically, regarding the text resulting from the joint joint committee and voted on by both chambers, Emmanuel Macron conceded that the compromise found is not satisfactory in all respects. “I’m not going to tell you that I’m jumping to the ceilinghe admitted. The deposit required from foreign students, I think it’s not a good idea.” However, “the text that comes out remains useful and the accepted provisions, even if they are not pleasing, do not justify rejecting it”he argued.

The adoption of the text on immigration is “a defeat of the National Rally”

Emmanuel Macron worked to attack the National Rally and refused to concede “an ideological victory” claimed Tuesday by the far right. “Of course it’s a defeat for the National Rally”, he said. Marine Le Pen’s party “plays on fears, but it brings lies”. “Fighting against the RN does not mean refusing to tackle the problems that fuel it. (…) There is an immigration problem in the country (…), but France is not not exceeded”he said on the France 5 set.

The school constitutes “part” of the meeting given in January

At the beginning of December, Emmanuel Macron asked the French to draw out their agenda. The head of state mentioned a future “meeting with the nation” to send “a message of unity”in confidences slipped into everyday life The world. For the year 2024, it is necessary “let us tackle new challenges”launched the tenant of the Elysée on Wednesday evening. “I will have to open it with a new direction which is in continuity.” The content of this meeting, however, remains unclear.

“If I give you an appointment in January, I will not honor it in December”, he evacuated. We barely know that the question of school, “mother of battles”constitutes “a part” of this meeting with the nation. The head of state, however, recalled that he still had a lot of time before leaving office. “I haven’t finished the work. I still have three and a half years ahead of me. I don’t plan to stop there.”

Details on the contours of the future law on the end of life

Emmanuel Macron promised to present a text “in February”. The President of the Republic addressed the issue of the end of life, which was the subject of a citizens’ convention at the start of his second five-year term. Firstly, he insisted on the need to better ensure palliative care in France : “The first thing we must do is complete the French model of palliative care, by continuing to invest, by correcting the inequalities that exist in our territories.” On the text to come, “we will not take a law that affects children. We will not take a law that takes psychiatric cases. This law will treat our compatriots in adulthood, who have their own discernment, who have incurable illnesses with suffering that is refractory to treatment”detailed the head of state.

The bill will then be transmitted to the Council of State, before arriving at the Council of Ministers “during March-April”before continuing “his parliamentary path”. No urgency there either : “I assume to take the time. If we do it wrong, we either do it wrong or we fracture the country.”

The Hanukkah ceremony at the Elysée was “not an infraction” of secularism

On December 7, the Elysée hosted a celebration of the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in the presence of the head of state, which sparked controversy. “I lit the candle of remembrance [de la Shoah], which has no religious character. The chief rabbi of France lit a religious candle for him.” Emmanuel Macron defended himself from having undermined the separation of religions and the State. “Did I participate in it? ? No. Was that the purpose of this meeting? ? No. If I had held a religious meeting here, you would be right to tell me : ‘You are not right with secularism’. This is not an infraction of the rules of secularism.”he said.

France’s position in the Middle East “is consistent”

Two and a half months after the October 7 terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, France’s position on the conflict in the Middle East has been repeatedly criticized. But for the head of state, it is “consistent”. “France’s position does not please the simplifying camps. (…) I believe that it is fair, that it corresponds to our values ​​and our interests.” This position is based on three pillars, according to him : a security pillar, a humanitarian pillar and a political pillar, which involves encouraging the two-state solution. For the Head of State, the solution is not to “raze everything in Gaza”.

He also defended himself for not having participated in the march against anti-Semitism in mid-November. At the time, his absence was singled out, particularly within the Jewish community. “If I had been there, people would have told me : ‘That’s his job ?'”he swept away.

“We will not abandon Ukraine”

Is Western support for Ukraine weakening, almost two years after the start of this war at the gates of Europe? ? There is, on the one hand, the specter of Donald Trump returning to the White House at the end of 2024. On the other, “we feel that European countries are starting to doubt” on the aid provided to kyiv, noted Emmanuel Macron.

For the President of the Republic, “in the coming months, we will have choices to make” in this conflict. “We must ensure that Russia does not win, which means continuing support, strengthening the protection of kyiv and key points”, detailed Emmanuel Macron. With this objective : put Ukraine “in the situation of negotiating peace under the best conditions”. “We will not abandon Ukraine”he assured.

France “obviously has plans B” for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics

Due to the terrorist threat, several political leaders have called for a lavish opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to be postponed on the Seine. “We prepare step by step, spending a lot of time, with a lot of professionalism. Everything is done so that it is ready”assured Emmanuel Macron. “This is an event that will take place with the highest safety standards.”

But at the same time, plans could change “if we consider that there is a level of risk which means that the level of potential threat would be likely to revise the initial plan. (…) There are obviously plans B, plans C”he stressed, without resolving to “go into impossible scenarios”. And to conclude on this subject : “We plan for all scenarios and we will adapt to all scenarios.”

Depardieu affair: the Legion of Honor is an order “which is not there to preach morality”

Should we, yes or no, withdraw the Legion of Honor from Gérard Depardieu, following the broadcast of the program “Complement d’investigation” on the French movie star ? The Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, announced on December 16 the launch of a procedure which could strip the actor of this title. Gérard Depardieu, indicted for rape, immediately declared that he “available”. Wednesday evening, clearly, the Head of State spoke out on this issue. It is “an order which is not there to preach moralityhe insisted.

And to add about the actor : “I am a great admirer of Gérard Depardieu (…) There is one thing you will never see me in, and that is manhunts. I hate that.”