“Recognizing what France should have done is an extremely important recognition,” says Minister Roland Lescure

Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate for Industry and Energy, was the guest of “6:20 p.m. franceinfo”, Thursday April 4.

“Recognizing, as the President of the Republic did today, what France could have done, I would say what France should have done to avoid this genocide, is an extremely important recognition”said Roland Lescure, the Minister Delegate in charge of Industry and Energy, on franceinfo Thursday April 4, while Emmanuel Macron estimated that France “could have stopped the genocide” of 1994 in Rwanda but “did not have the will”.

This recognition mentioned by the Head of State “touches me personally”, explains Roland Lescure, “not as a man of the left, right or center, but as a French citizen”. “To move forward, we must recognize the mistakes of the past, and there have been some”adds the minister. “I think it’s time to recognize our responsibility.”

Against a total ban on PFAS

The minister also spoke about PFAS, also called “forever pollutants”. Thursday April 4, deputies adopted a law to prohibit the manufacture and sale of products containing Pfas, excluding however kitchen utensils, after a strong mobilization this week of employees of Seb, manufacturer of Tefal stoves.

For the minister, completely banning the use of these “eternal pollutants” is inconceivable since their use is essential according to him, giving as an example their presence in the manufacture of hip prostheses or that of fire-retardant suits for firefighters: “if Pfas are banned, we will no longer have fireproof suits for French firefighters, we will still be able to bring in German, Swiss or Italian firefighters but it’s a bit strange”.

However, several scientists recently signed an article in the newspaper Le Monde to warn of the dangers of PFAS on health, which the minister refutes, although he nevertheless claims to be “committed to the health of the French”. He claims to have asked “to accelerate the movement in Europe”, to regulate these products. Roland Lescure also explains that he is waiting for the results of scientific studies on these Pfas, planned for 2027. “If the European authority recognizes in 2027 that this product is not dangerous, we will have banned a non-dangerous product in France, destroying hundreds of jobs,” he says. He concludes with this formula: “you need a little reason, and a lot of Europe”.