Emmanuel Macron was Thursday in Le Havre, on the land of his former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, to campaign on ecology, decided to “convince” in particular left-wing voters. “Getting out of renewables is a complete aberration, we would be the only country in the world to do so,” he protested on France Bleu. “The strategy of the extreme right of all nuclear is unrealistic and in my eyes totally crazy”, he added while visiting the site of Siemens Gamesa which manufactures offshore wind turbines.
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“In Madame Le Pen’s project, I was amazed to discover (…) that we would spend hundreds of millions of euros dismantling existing wind turbines, which, I must say, is a use of the money of the taxpayer who questions me”, he added, ten days before the second round of the presidential election. “I will try to convince all the voters,” he said, targeting those of Jean-Luc Mélenchon – who came first in Le Havre in the first round – and environmentalist Yannick Jadot. “But the all-renewable strategy (defended by Jan-Luc Mélenchon, editor’s note) does not work either, the country should be covered with renewable energy”, he pleaded.
“In the 2nd round, you eliminate the project you like the least”
Emmanuel Macron made a point of recalling his points of agreement with the left on ecology. “With the project of Mr. Jadot, of Mr. Mélenchon and it is also true for Mrs. Hidalgo, we had an agreement on the fact that the Paris Agreement should be our framework, and the European Green Deal. But the extreme right of Marine Le Pen has a project which is to get out of the Paris Agreements and the European Green Deal”.
“In the 2nd round, you eliminate the project that you like the least. But there is no purity! I am not going to propose the project of Jean-Luc Mélenchon or Yannick Jadot tomorrow. But if I can add this or such a thing, out of respect, if I find consistency with mine, I will do it”, he assured.
As for the moratorium on wind power recommended by Marine le Pen, if it were applied “this site would close within the hour”, hammered Emmanuel Macron, visiting the largest French industrial project dedicated to renewables, which should create 750 jobs. , with Edouard Philippe.
“Marine Le Pen assumes to have a very clearly climate-skeptical program”
In addition to reviving nuclear power, Emmanuel Macron’s program is to install 50 wind farms at sea, with a total power of 40 GW. He undertook not to open parks “without consultation” in particular with the fishermen.
“I think that Marine Le Pen assumes to have a very clearly climate-skeptical program”, he concluded.
The RN candidate’s program provides for “a moratorium on wind and solar power” and for wind power to launch the gradual dismantling of sites, starting with those reaching the end of their life. And that “all dedicated subsidies promoting these processes will be suspended”.
After having attended the handling operations of a container ship, Emmanuel Macron also estimated that the port of Le Havre, first in France, would be penalized by the “national preference” claimed by Marine le Pen, and “would upset the activity of the port” which would become “totally uncompetitive” to accommodate containers. “Who will pay in the end? It’s the consumer,” he added.