During a session of questions to the government on Tuesday, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the launch of a procedure to requisition Esso-ExxonMobil personnel while strikes in refineries continue. For Éric Ciotti, LR deputy for the Alpes-Maritimes and candidate for the presidency of the Les Républicains party, “requisitions were needed immediately” and not wait for the situation to worsen. A situation which “marks the weakness of those who lead us”, he launched.
A counter-productive ad? Following this announcement, many strikers who had decided to return to work went on strike again. This Wednesday morning, the strike at the Esso-ExxonMobil refinery in Port-Jérôme (Seine-Maritime) was unanimously renewed, despite the threat brandished by the Prime Minister. The strike was also renewed at TotalEnergies this Wednesday morning for all the sites in the movement, announced the CGT.
“A crisis like that, it is anticipated!”
Guest of Europe Morning Wednesday, the deputy LR of the Alpes-Maritimes pointed the finger at the “lack of anticipation” of the government. “It is the fault of those who govern us, the lack of anticipation, we only react after the events. As often, the government had a huge delay in ignition. A crisis like that, it is Anticipate! Now, it has grown enormously. It also marks this weakness of those who lead us”, he exclaimed on Europe 1.
Could the government have reacted on September 27, the first day of the movement? Yes, answers the Republican presidential candidate. “When we are in charge, when we govern, we know very well that if we block refineries, a few days later there will be very serious consequences for the country so we must act, on the contrary, at the very beginning”, advances he.
“You need firmness, you need authority. We can’t leave the country blocked, the freedom of every citizen is at stake. People wait four hours to fill up, others can’t go working is unbearable. So, requisitions were needed immediately, “he says.
A device already used in 2010
This is not the first time that a government has initiated a requisition procedure. In 2010, in the midst of pension reform, Nicolas Sarkozy decided to initiate this system to put the strikers back to work in the refineries. While some requisitions had been challenged in court, others had been validated.
At the time, the Council of State had to invoke the proximity of the Gargenville oil depot in the Yvelines with Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, which had only three days of fuel left.
In other words, if the government fails to cite a good reason, it exposes itself to the usual trials and could be accused of serious and manifestly illegal infringement of the right to strike. A situation that is “not simple” recognizes Eric Ciotti for whom courageous and visionary leaders are needed at the head of the state. “All that is lacking in our country today,” he concludes.