Yannick Jadot, MEP and environmental candidate in the presidential election, was the guest of 8:30 a.m. franceinfo on Friday January 28. He answered questions from Salhia Brakhlia and Lorrain Sénéchal.
Growth: “The question is what do we do with it?”
While France experienced historic GDP growth of 7% in 2021, Yannick Jadot questions its real benefit for the French: “The French economy has the capacity for a rebound, we return in a way to the pre-pandemic period, so much the better […] But the question is what do we do with it? France is also the record holder for dividends, 68 billion should be distributed this year to shareholders, while the fortunes of billionaires have exploded.
“This growth is very unevenly distributed”, denounced the environmental candidate. According to him, “the growth supported by Emmanuel Macron is not growth that reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, the use of our pesticides or waste, it is not growth that creates jobs and avoids destroying the environment”. “It does not benefit everyone and it does not make it possible to fight against the great challenges that are before us, the climate, biodiversity and social justice.“
Tensions on the Ukrainian border: we must “organize a summit in Kiev”
While the situation remains tense on the Ukrainian border, and Emmanuel Macron must call Vladimir Putin this Friday, Yannick Jadot believes that a strong gesture must be made in support of Ukraine. For him, it is necessary “to organize a summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, with all European leaders, to show that Europe is united in the defense of territorial integrity and democracy in Ukraine. You have 100,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border and when you hear the French politicians, you get the impression that they are in the green class, that there is no risk, no. It is Russia that threatens Ukraine, it is the dictator Vladimir Putin, who so fascinates the French political class, who threatens democracy in Ukraine”.