Brussels, 27/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 26 May, France's President François Hollande responded to the heavy defeat of the French Socialist party in the European elections saying he would take account of the message sent by French citizens who voted massively for the far-right.
The “painful” truth of these elections is this: “six French people in ten did not turn out to vote” and “one voter in four voted for the far-right”, said Hollande, who was in Brussels on Tuesday for the European summit - a summit which is focusing partly on the election results and the appointment of the future president of the European Commission (see other article). In Hollande's opinion, these elections - which for the first time placed the French Front National at the top of the national ballot with 25.4% of the vote - mark “a lack of trust in a Europe that worries people more than it protects them” and also “in politics, which - after so many years of crisis - still call for efforts without the results being seen yet”.
Convinced that Europe “cannot move forwards without France”, Hollande reasserted his commitment to reform France and to “re-orientate Europe”, which has become “unreadable, (…) distant and, quite frankly, incomprehensible - even for member states”. “Europe must be clear and simple in order to be effective where it is expected to be, and to withdraw where it is not needed”, he stated.
In the area of economics, Hollande reiterated the main drive of the French government: “The priority is growth. It's jobs. It's investment”. In his view, Europe must “prepare the future” by investing in “new technology, energy transition and its own defence” and must “protect its borders, its interests, its values and its culture”. In order to have any clout in Europe, the only way is to conduct reforms in France - a country which is “losing its jobs” and whose “competitiveness is becoming worse”. These reforms will support businesses, improve the purchasing power of low incomes by tax cuts, will focus on education and will simplify the country's territorial organisation (our translation throughout). (MB)