By Sudouest.fr with AFP
The President of the Republic presented the last wishes of his five-year term this Friday, December 31, 2021. Emmanuel Macron announced “difficult weeks” but “real reasons to hope” with the vaccine
As in 2021, against the backdrop of a major health crisis, President Emmanuel Macron presented his wishes to the French this Friday, December 31. The Head of State, just back from his Var resort of Brégançon, was standing in his office in front of the Elysée gardens, lit in the background.
»VIDEO: relive Emmanuel Macron’s wishes for 2022
Emmanuel Macron warned Friday, during his vows for 2022, that “the coming weeks will be difficult” but that there were “real reasons to hope” thanks to the vaccine and that “2022 could be the year of exit from the epidemic ”.
But he began his speech on Friday by formulating a thought for “the 123,000 compatriots who were killed by the virus”, referring in the first part to the health crisis where the words “optimism” and “hopes” were spoken to several times.
“2022 may be the year of exit from the epidemic,” said Emmanuel Macron, who called on the five million unvaccinated citizens to join the “53 million” of French people who have initiated a full vaccination scheme . “Vaccination is our most secure asset” he added, “and homework comes before rights”. “I appeal to the 5 million unvaccinated people: make this simple gesture for yourself, for your compatriots, for our country. The whole of France is counting on you ”.
Thanks to the vaccine, “we will be able to overcome this wave,” he continued, promising to “do everything to preserve the activity of the country” and “avoid taking restrictions that weigh on our freedom”.
“France stronger thanks to you”
“Despite the hardships, France is stronger today than two years ago,” insisted Emmanuel Macron, recalling several of the reforms he initiated and which make him “optimistic” for 2022. “Never for 15 years, unemployment has not been so low, ”he said.
With the pandemic, “where we could have postponed everything, we have never given up our collective ambition,” added the Head of State. “In recent weeks and months alone, decisions that have been talked about for decades have been and will be taken that will change lives,” he added.
He cited among others the “training of our youth”, the “reform of unemployment insurance”, the “purchasing power” measures, “the increase in the salaries of the most modest civil servants”, “thermal renovation ”Or“ minimum pension of 1,000 euros ”. “I am resolutely optimistic, not just for 2022 but for the years to come”, “we can see the outcome of this endless day” of the pandemic, he stressed.
The head of state also defended Europe as France takes the rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday. “You can count on my total commitment to make this moment a time of progress for you” because “the values that the European Union carries are, I am convinced, those which make it possible to meet our contemporary challenges”.
“I will act until the last day of the mandate for which you elected me”, he finally declared of the April presidential election for which he has not yet said if he was. candidate.
In this regard, he did not disclose anything on Friday, saying simply that “for my part, whatever my place and the circumstances, I will continue to serve you” and “no one will be able to uproot my heart”.
“Let us remain united, benevolent, united, let us stay on the side of life, this is what we owe to ourselves. So 2022 will be the year of all possibilities “,” long live our Europe, long live the Republic and long live France “, he concluded.