Philippe Ballard, deputy for Oise and spokesperson for the National Rally, was the guest of “8:30 a.m. franceinfo”, Sunday October 9, 2022. He answered questions from Neila Latrous and Jules de Kiss.
Fuel supply difficulties: the government “is in denial of reality”
“Not only has the government done nothing, but, in addition, it is in a denial of reality, (…) in a lie”, estimates the deputy RN Philippe Ballard, concerning the difficulties of fuel supplies. According to him, the executive minimizes the difficulties and lacks anticipation, while the strike – at the origin of this situation – has lasted for ten days in French refineries. “We had to intervene immediately”he continues, as soon as the first queues are formed in front of service stations.
“You have to know how to stop a strike”adds the deputy, qualifying the movement launched by the CGT as “preventive strike”. “They had a 3.5% increase at the start of the year, their CEO said: we’ll see each other again on November 15 and we’ll negotiate. There, the CGT says it’s right away, it’s now”comments Philippe Ballard, while considering that TotalEnergies “may perhaps distribute a little to the employees” after the record profits recorded by the French oil company at the start of the year.
The executive in Algiers: “It’s display”
“It’s communication, it’s display”, believes Philippe Ballard, concerning the trip of the executive to Algiers, Algeria, while the subjects of visas and gas will not be discussed. On the first subject, the spokesperson for the National Rally calls for answers from the government. “I remember the anger of Gérald Darmanin, a year ago, who found it intolerable that Algeria did not take back all those who have an OQTF [obligation de quitter le territoire français]. Where are we now?”he wonders, specifying that on “7,700 OQTFs last year, 22 led to expulsions”. “And we are going to grant visas to people who, in Algeria, say worse than hanging from France?”denounces the spokesperson of the RN.
The member for Oise also regrets the fact that the Prime Minister plans to “lay a wreath at the war memorial” [le Mémorial du Martyr]. “Talking to each other is good, but we can’t be in the permanent excuse”he says. “Appeasement is good, submission is not”continues the elected official, who affirms that the “FLN [le front de libération nationale] never had a word of apology for the tens of thousands of black feet, harkis, who were murdered”. For the RN spokesperson, “for a duty of memory, it takes two”.
Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Sunday October 9, 2022: