Macron backs green agenda to win votes in EU elections
French president neck and neck with far-right group as he aims to put the yellow vest crisis behind him
PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron will place the environment at the heart of his European election manifesto today as he seeks to overtake the far-right and drum up interest in a faltering campaign.
The outspoken Europhile is banking on coming first in France’s May 26 polls for the European Parliament to prove that the “yellow vest” political crisis of the past six months is behind him and that his plans for an EU “renaissance” are not dead in the water.
Polls suggest he is running neck and neck with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally at around 22 per cent, with some placing her up to two points in the lead.
His Republic on the Move party was due to unveil its manifesto today but the 79-point plan was leaked.
It includes a pledge to rule out trade deals with countries which are not signed up to the Paris climate accord, chief among them the US.
Other measures include investing “at least a thousand billion euros” in developing “clean energy and transport, to renovate housing and support workers in sectors under transition” by 2024, a “European climate bank” to channel EU savings towards the green economy, and slapping a carbon tax on EU imports.
Mr Macron scored plaudits after his election for promising to “make our planet great again”, only to suffer a major blow when his environment minister resigned last autumn accusing the government of “greenwashing”.
He was then accused of punishing motorists by slapping a new green tax on diesel and petrol, a move that helped ignite the yellow vest revolt.
In a sign of his green swing, Mr Macron has placed Pascal Canfin, the former head of WWF France, at number two on his EU election list.
Analysts at Teneo Intelligence said: “Macron relies heavily on new, urban, pro-eu middle-class voters … These voters care for the environment while strongly opposing Donald Trump.”
Other manifesto measures include taxing digital giants, “advancing towards a European army” and launching a major conference to decide which EU countries wish to forge ahead with deeper integration.
The Macron camp is suffering from the lacklustre performance of the head of its EU list, Nathalie Loiseau. The former Europe minister has made a series of gaffes and failed to impress during a televised debate.
Edouard Philippe, the prime minister, was drafted in to breathe new life into her campaign at a rally on Monday.
The Le Pen list, by contrast, is having some success and is being run by a punchy 23-year old, Jordan Bardella.
Mr Macron is also taking a hit from the renascent Right-wing Republicans, whose list leader is François-xavier Bellamy, a socially conservative, photogenic Catholic philosopher.
A string of “Macron-compatible” centre-right mayors whom the president had previously hoped to woo have come out in support of Mr Bellamy, who is now standing at around 14 per cent in the polls.
The official campaign for the EU elections starts on May 13 but candidates have been holding debates and rallies and Mr Macron is reportedly champing at the bit to get involved.
He is hoping to shake up the status quo in the EU parliament as he did in France’s National Assembly by poaching members of the main centre-right EEP group along with liberals and other willing MEPS.
His vows to fight Euroscepticism and nationalism have placed him on a collision course with Right-wingers such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini, while at home his rivals hope to turn the election into a vote against his presidency.
‘Macron relies heavily on new voters who care for the environment while strongly opposing Donald Trump’