Macron: Election is “referendum for or against ecology”

The incumbent French President wants to put climate protection in the hands of the Prime Minister if he is re-elected. When moving away from oil and gas, he also relies on new nuclear power plants.

In the fight for Green voters, French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a stronger focus on climate and environmental protection policy if he is re-elected.

“My next prime minister will be directly involved in ecological planning,” Macron told supporters in Marseille on Saturday. Its task will be to “make France the first major nation to leave behind natural gas, oil and coal,” he said. “It is possible and we will do it.” Macron reaffirmed his commitment to nuclear power. In addition, there should be a national day of nature every year.

Among other things, Macron wants to build six new nuclear power plants, increase solar capacity tenfold and build 50 offshore wind farms by mid-century. 700,000 houses are to be insulated every year.

Fight for votes for the runoff

In recent polls, Macron is just ahead of his rival Marine Le Pen. Macron accused his challenger of being a climate change skeptic and incompetent in the field. Le Pen wants to have wind turbines dismantled and thus waste taxpayers’ money. The runoff between him and Le Pen on April 24 was a “referendum for or against ecology.”

Before the decisive second round of the election, Macron and Le Pen also have to convince people outside of their core constituency. Younger voters gave their votes to leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon particularly often in the first round. Many also abstained. Observers are convinced that Macron is trying to win over these voters with issues such as social justice and environmental protection.

On Saturday he announced that the prime minister would be flanked by two other climate policy ministers. One to take care of energy planning and guide France out of fossil fuel energy production. The other should take over the ecological planning in the area and decentralize the change.

In the French political system, the Prime Minister, who acts as the head of government, is appointed by the President. The French President is elected directly by the people and requires an absolute majority of the votes cast.