The controversy continues. A petition has been launched to encourage Jean Castex to vote by proxy in the second round of the presidential election.
On April 10, the Prime Minister shocked part of the population by using a private jet to go to his polling station, located in Prades (Pyrénées-Orientales). He stayed two hours there before returning to Paris. With this round trip, he rejected “almost 5 tons of CO2, or as much as a Frenchman in six months!”, Denounces the collective of citizens at the origin of the petition.
He asks Jean Castex to “give up the plane to vote on April 24, June 12 and 19”, dates of the presidential and legislative elections. The head of government can instead “take the train” or “make a power of attorney”.
“The climate emergency requires everyone to make an effort, and a Prime Minister should not be exempt from these efforts”, asserts the collective. The petition has already collected more than 4,600 signatures.
Jean Castex defends himself
Jean Castex has not yet reacted to the petition. On the other hand, he spoke about this controversy at the microphone of RTL on April 12, saying “that he had used the usual rules”. “The Prime Minister must be in Paris very quickly if there is the slightest problem”, he justified himself.
His statements did not convince the collective of citizens. “If your function requires you to be able to return quickly to Paris and prevents you from taking the train (…), why not take an airliner, which emits 10 to 20 times less than your private plane? Or why not make a power of attorney to one of your relatives living in Prades?”, They observed.
The collective also cited the latest alarming IPCC report, according to which some consequences of global warming are already irreversible. Scientists predict the extinction of 3 to 14% of terrestrial species, an increase in disease and premature death and more and more people at risk of flooding. Immediate action is needed to keep the Earth livable. “Under these conditions, every gesture counts (…) on April 24, June 12 and 19, make a power of attorney!”, Writes the collective.