(Updated throughout)
PARIS, January 30 (Reuters) – French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal delivered his general policy speech to the National Assembly on Tuesday in a context tense by the agricultural crisis.
The head of government presented his roadmap, promising in particular to “rearm, de-emphasize and de-bureaucratize” France.
The Prime Minister also pleaded for a “French agricultural exception” and wishes to carry out a “rearmament” of the sector.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
4:23 p.m. – End of Gabriel Attal’s general policy speech to the National Assembly.
4:22 p.m. – “The French I know their expectations, I know that they will not forgive me anything.”
4:20 p.m. – “We cannot want to leave Europe unless we want to serve another country, another power,” says Gabriel Attal. “Those who advocate the end of the application of the treaties are the supporters of a Frexit which would weaken France,” he adds.
4:14 p.m. – France is close to reaching an extension of the derogation on fallow land, says the minister.
4:13 p.m. – All fines from industry and mass distribution will be redistributed to farmers, promises Gabriel Attal. He also announced an emergency fund before the end of the week for wine growers.
4:12 p.m. – Gabriel Attal announces aid for fuel used by farmers (GNR) or for covering veterinary costs.
4:08 p.m. – “We must carry out our agricultural rearmament” says Gabriel Attal who “wants food sovereignty to be enshrined in law”.
4:08 p.m. – Succeeding in the ecological transition is the challenge of our generation, says the minister.
4:08 p.m. – Gabriel Attal affirms that nuclear power is a source of French pride. The Flamanville EPR will be operational this year, he adds.
4:04 p.m. – “We will not do ecology against the people.”
4:04 p.m. – Gabriel Attal promises an initiative against plastic pollution in the 50 sites that produce the most.
4:01 p.m. – He confirms the generalization of the Universal National Service at the start of the 2026 school year, already announced by Emmanuel Macron.
4:00 p.m. – The Prime Minister wants to make the fight against drugs and everyday burglaries a priority. The minister promises to “hit the dealers in the wallet and cut off their funds”. “Impunity is over.”
3:59 p.m. – The Prime Minister advocates the placement in boarding schools of young people “who do not respect our rules and who are violent”.
3:58 p.m. – “You break, you repair. You dirty, you clean. You challenge authority, you learn to respect it,” says Gabriel Attal.
3:58 p.m. – Gabriel Attal announces the establishment of work of educational interest for juvenile delinquents under the age of 16, on the same principle as work of general interest.
3:56 p.m. – “If the experiment is conclusive”, the Prime Minister promises a generalization of the wearing of uniforms at the start of the 2026 school year.
3:55 p.m. – On the theme of secularism, “we do not negotiate with the Republic, we accept it, we respect it”, says Gabriel Attal.
3:54 p.m. – To teachers: “I will always be at their side.” “We will work to regulate the use of screens in and outside of school.” The minister promises a two-week internship for all second-year students and a reform of initial teacher training by March.
3:50 p.m. – The Prime Minister announces the payment of exceptional bonuses of 800 euros to school nurses and the salary will be increased by 200 euros net.
3:48 p.m. – On mental health for young people, Gabriel Attal suggests better reimbursement for consultations. A dedicated house per department.
3:48 p.m. – “When you have an appointment with the doctor and you don’t come without warning, you pay.”
3:47 p.m. – This summer, each department will have a healthcare access service. Failing this, on-call obligations will be decreed for private doctors, indicates the Prime Minister.
3:46 p.m. – “Act so that there is no forgotten territory,” says Gabriel Attal.
3:45 p.m. – In the health chapter, “we will proceed with the regularization of foreign doctors on our territory” and an emissary will be responsible for looking for doctors abroad.
3:42 p.m. – When it comes to immigration, “we have to accept less in order to welcome better”, says Gabriel Attal, adding that state medical aid will be reformed by the summer by regulation.
3:40 p.m. – A second green industry bill will be launched to ask the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) to focus its work only on projects of national scope.
3:40 p.m. – It will be possible to file a complaint online anywhere in France.
3:40 p.m. – The Prime Minister wants to “rearm France”.
3:38 p.m. – “I want to lighten the burden of rules and standards that weighs on those who create our VSEs and our SMEs, on all those French people who work tirelessly and create activity and employment,” says the Prime Minister .
3:37 p.m. – Gabriel Attal wants to “debureaucratize” France, “liberate the French in their initiatives”.
3:34 p.m. – In terms of housing, Gabriel Attal proposes to designate 20 territories where to accelerate procedures in order to create 30,000 new housing units within three years. He also wants to continue the requisition of empty buildings.
3:34 p.m. – Gabriel Attal announces a bill in the spring to unlock certain professions such as trustees and online sales of medicines by pharmacies.
3:32 p.m. – The Prime Minister asks that maintenance staff be able to work office hours.
3:31 p.m. – Gabriel Attal asks his ministers to experiment with a four-day week in the central administration.
3:30 p.m. – The Prime Minister proposes switching the solidarity allowance specific to the RSA and eliminating this allowance.
3:29 p.m. – Initiate a solidarity project at the source to “guarantee justice” and “that everyone receives all of what they are entitled to”.
3:28 p.m. – To promote the work, “a bill will be tabled in the second half of this year,” says Gabriel Attal.
3:25 p.m. – “We must dismantle France,” says the Prime Minister. “We will begin to reform this system (…) we must continue to lower the burden on the middle classes.”
3:25 p.m. – Gabriel Attal considers it “incomprehensible that unemployment remains around 7%” while many companies are looking for workers.
3:21 p.m. – Gabriel Attal wants to launch “4 calls to action” for the French.
3:20 p.m. – The Prime Minister says he wants to make work his priority, by promoting “work so that those who are far from it can get closer to it, by supporting those who only have the fruit of their work to live on and who are always at home meet their responsibilities.
3:19 p.m. – “Our farmers embody fundamental values such as work, effort and freedom of enterprise,” says Gabriel Attal.
3:18 p.m. – “I will never give up talking,” says Gabriel Attal. “Respect the French, respect our opposition, respect our Parliament, I am committed to it.”
3:13 p.m. – Gabriel Attal addresses the French “who have the feeling that decisions are made without them and that they always benefit the same people” “who do not ask for the Moon but live from their work, educate their children and live in security “.
3:12 p.m. – “Our agriculture is a strength”, affirms Gabriel Attal, “there must be a French agricultural exception”.
3:11 p.m. – Gabriel Attal calls to “reconquer our European sovereignty”.
“The crises overlap and add up. They offer no miraculous solution but methodically with the French we will respond.”
3:09 p.m. – Shouts ring out in the ranks of the left.
3:06 p.m. – “We must confront in order to move forward,” declared the Prime Minister who believes that a “society never loses by moving forward.”
3:03 p.m. – Start of Gabriel Attal’s general policy speech to the National Assembly.
3:01 p.m. – Left-wing groups in Parliament have tabled a motion of censure against the government.
(Written by Blandine Henault, Kate Entringer and Nicolas Delame, with Elizabeth Pineau)
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