From Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term, she retains as the two best measures “the flexibility of work and the duplication of primary classes”. But she regrets that the government has “thrown into oblivion the Borloo plan on the suburbs” and the “disarmament of justice” [comprendre qu’elle n’ait pas les moyens de faire son travail]. Valérie Pécresse, Les Républicains candidate in the presidential election, was on Monday February 7 the guest of “Live Presidentiel” TF1 – “20 Minutes”. She responded live to questions from Internet users. Here’s what to remember.
Is France ready to elect a female president?
A woman can lead France. Look at Germany and Great Britain, which have elected women, and in the end they are perhaps the ones who have marked the political life of their country the most. A woman is there to do, more than for power. Maybe also that we are a little less narcissistic and that we are a little more interested in people’s daily lives.
If you want to know how Valérie Pécresse is nicknamed in her region, it’s in the video that it happens
If you are elected, will your husband resign from the presidency of the renewable energy branch of General Electrics?
This question does indeed arise, we are thinking about it and we will have an answer to give to the French before the presidential election. We will not mix genders if I am elected. Jérôme and I have always ensured that there are watertight partitions between his professional life and mine. When I was budget minister, I issued directives to ensure that no decision concerning his company was brought to my attention. When I became regional president, it was the same.
Are you liberal, Gaullist or both at the same time?
I am first and foremost a Gaullist, which means that I believe that state intervention can be useful in the economy. But I also believe that we have to release the energies of companies, allow them to create jobs. We are at an 85 billion euro deficit in our trade balance. We must therefore help our companies to produce more, to produce better, to create production sites in France, to recruit in France. It is also necessary to free companies from bureaucracy and help project promoters.
Why did you participate in the Manif pour tous in 2012?
At the time of Marriage for All, I was for a more modest reform, which was that of a civil union. I was not ready for marriage because I thought it brutalized society and divided it. Since the law passed in 2013, I have always said that I would not go back on it. I respect everyone’s beliefs. I don’t want to divide society.
Are you in favor of surrogacy?
I have a very deep conviction, which is that a woman’s body is not a commodity. It’s a red line for me, I don’t want to cross. I don’t want a world where women, because they are poorer, have to rent out their bodies.
Will you be the president of women’s rights?
Electing a female president should change things for women. These subjects of equality, I am going to take them head-on. A number of aids, such as the disabled adult allowance (AAH) or the activity bonus are now combined. It’s very unfair. I also want to tax the alimony of separated women. On the subject of equal pay, I am for mandatory paternity leave and real catch-up policies in companies. Banks also need to lend more to women entrepreneurs.
What will be your measures to fight against violence against women?
I would like harassers on public transport to be banned from transport, just as violent supporters are banned from stadiums. On violence against women, I want to specialize the prosecution, the judges. 85% of women who fall under the blows of their spouse had made a report before. It is therefore necessary to commit to respecting a 24 to 48 hour deadline for restraining orders.
What have you planned against animal abuse?
I want to make France a friend of animals. In many cities, we are very behind on the place given to animals, especially pets. In my region, I created the competition for cities that are friendly to animals, as we do the competition for cities in bloom. This project must be nationalized. I would also like the creation of regional agencies for the protection of biodiversity.
What is your position on the hunt on the hunt?
We must not oppose the urban and the rural. Hunting is an ancestral practice, an achievement of the French Revolution. We have to reconcile the life of walkers and the life of hunters, but I am against restrictions on hunting activities.
What is your position on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?
Tensions need to be de-escalated. Ukraine’s borders must be protected. We must tell Russia that if there is any tension vis-à-vis Ukraine, there will be extremely severe sanctions from the European Union. We also need to reassure all the republics that are on Russia’s doorstep and tell them that we will be at their side to help them and continue to protect it. We must also establish a dialogue with Vladimir Putin. We need a big conference on security in Europe. If Russia is committed to real security in Europe, then perhaps Ukraine’s entry into NATO is no longer a priority. This will allow a give and take: security against a status quo of alliances.
Do you think it is possible to live decently with a salary of 1,200 euros per month?
The French have no vocation to live with checks and their work must pay better. I am committed to increasing net salaries by 10% over the five-year term. We will start in July with 3% by removing this equivalent of pension contribution charges. And I will hold a conference with the employers and the social partners to see how much they too are ready to increase wages. I also want to totally exempt overtime hours from tax and that all those who want to can transform RTT not taken into salary by obtaining their buy-back by their company, without employer charges. There is a final injustice, which is the maritalized activity bonus. I want to deconjugalize her. If we do all that, there will no longer be a Frenchman who earns less than 1,500 euros per month.
You want to eliminate 200,000 civil servant positions. Which authorities will be involved?
The idea is to make the most powerful decentralization law that France has known since the Defferre laws. The State will let go and entrust missions to local authorities. For example, the regions for business aid. A third of the money saved on these job cuts will be used to lower taxes and charges. A third will be used to increase the salaries of civil servants. And the last third will make it possible to create 50,000 additional positions in the three priority missions of the State: 10,000 positions for schools, 15,000 positions for justice and 25,000 positions for hospitals.
What do you mean by “pull out the Kärcher”?
You have to be tough on crime, bosses. With me the thugs will spend a bad quarter of an hour. But I also want to be the president of equal opportunities, to help all those who want to get out of it so that the elevator works again in our country.
Do you confirm your comments that there is no police violence in France?
I do not accept the word police violence. There may be a police officer who makes a mistake, and that deserves sanctions. But there is no systemic violence. The violence is first and foremost the police who suffer it and they are there to protect us.
* The “Live Presidentiel TF1-20 Minutes”, it continues on Instagram accounts@20minutesfrance and@tf1info. The next guest will be Eric Zemmour, on Tuesday February 22.