Emmanuel Macron and Elisabeth Borne bring together, on Wednesday August 31, the entire government to set the strategy for the coming months, with the difficult challenge of reconciling climate emergency, energy sobriety and defense of purchasing power.
This first seminar of the second five-year term will bring together the 42 members of the government, including the deputy ministers and secretaries of state who do not usually participate in the council of ministers. And it is the climate challenge that is at the top of the bill, after the historic drought of this summer, marked by fires, a lack of water and violent storms.
In this context, the government will listen to a presentation by climatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte, member of the IPCC, invited at the initiative of Emmanuel Macron. She will have the difficult task of raising the government’s awareness of the climate issue. By discussing with this recognized expert, “it is a question of each minister being able to fully understand the issues, even if the climate is not directly within the remit of his ministry”explains the entourage of the president.
Priority given to global warming
This priority has been hammered home in recent days by the president, then by Elisabeth Borne, who warned, on Monday, in front of the bosses that it was necessary “act faster and stronger” in the face of climate change and soaring energy prices, accentuated by the war in Ukraine. This seminar will conclude with a report by Elisabeth Borne scheduled for around 6 p.m.
“The time is no longer for half measures, the time is no longer for every man for himself, the time is for collective responsibility”she pointed out.
The subject will again be on the menu of a defense council devoted, Friday at the Elysée, to the supply of gas and electricity to France. They will be examined “the scenarios envisaged to prepare for all scenarios this fall and winter”according to an adviser to the Elysée.
Gas flows from Russia have dried up and the Europeans are preparing for a possible total shutdown, in retaliation for the sanctions imposed on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. The giant Gazprom thus announced on Tuesday the total suspension of its gas deliveries to the French group Engie from Thursday. But this last “has found other sources of supply”said Elisabeth Borne on TMC.
The situation is also tense on the electricity side, due to the unavailability of part of the nuclear fleet, in particular for corrosion problems.
Elisabeth Borne urged, on Monday, companies to act to improve their energy sobriety, otherwise they would be the “first hits” by measures of “rationing” in the coming months.
On these issues, the government is accused by part of the opposition, including environmentalists, of not doing enough and by another of over-dramatizing the situation.
Emmanuel Macron “Always says the apocalypse is coming tomorrow, and since the apocalypse doesn’t come, he explains to us that it’s thanks to him”, denounced the deputy of the National Rally Laurent Jacobelli, Tuesday, on Franceinfo. Rejecting these criticisms, government spokesman Olivier Véran assured that the decisions will be « collectives » et “collegiate” and that the “transparency will be the rule”.
In addition to the climate and energy, the government is expected on the question of the taxation of superprofits, which Elisabeth Borne has not excluded, while the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, is not in favor of it. , explaining not ” to know “ what these windfall profits so decried by the left were.