Only 10 days before the first round of the legislative elections, the candidates are beating the campaign and the arguments are sharpening. Emilie Chalas, MP (LREM-Ensemble!) for the 3rd constituency of Isère (Grenoble-Fontaine-Sassenage) denounces “the breaking and blocking project” of the Nupes – Union of the Left (and its representative Elisa Martin, who was our guest yesterday) against the “progress project“of the majority.
First a question about purchasing power: Bruno Le Maire indicated yesterday that the rise in prices would continue for more than a year. This will be your first file if you are elected. What do you propose to the majority?
We can see that there is an urgent need to respond to the crisis. And for that, we must not block the National Assembly and have a majority to carry this law. This law, what will it contain? First the food voucher for the most precarious: an immediate short-term, financial response, to simply help with shopping. Then, the indexation of pensions since we know that purchasing power is lost for pensioners as inflation increases. And then in the same way for the civil servants and agents of the public service, there too it is necessary an increase of the point of index so that one makes up for the delay accumulated for several years.
I also remind you that inflation will certainly continue for at least a year, Bruno Le Maire has announced. Nevertheless, France is the country in Europe in which inflation is the lowest. So we are holding on, we are resisting and we will accompany with an emergency response from July.
Another hot topic for the government: hospitals. Emmanuel Macron announced a flash mission to assess needs. Frankly, don’t we already know the needs?
Listen, I heard your guest yesterday, Elisa Martin, Eric Piolle’s first assistant and also a legislative candidate. And in this matter, demagoguery is not a good adviser. First, I want to recall three elements that we have carried over these five years: the end of the numerus clausus, the assumption of hospital debt, this is historic – 50 billion euros have been taken over by the State – and then finally the Ségur de la santé and the €280 increase. It may not be enough and we will continue. But we cannot say that for five years, we have not acted when we have suffered this situation for 30 years.
Then, we have to deal with the crisis, seriously and by listening, respecting those who care for us, those who save lives. And the equation is known. You are right, we must train, recruit and pay better. Training takes time. Secondly, we must rebalance the offer of care without hesitation between city medicine on the one hand, what are called general practitioners, the issues of evening and weekend call, the issues of home travel and interventions at home and finally emergencies strictly speaking. And thirdly, you have to filter, you have to regulate the emergencies so that the real emergencies are dealt with there. The rest on the competitions of figures, the competitions of financing, recruitment, etc… all that is only show politics.
You were in the markets this weekend. Are you able to mobilize voters? A strong turnout is expected….
Me, I always have a lot of fun going to dialogue, going to exchange with the inhabitants of the third constituency. I know her very well, with my feet, with my heart. I had a lot of fun being their MP. I am delighted to be in the campaign and indeed, we are having a great campaign, we are by far the most present on the ground.
But do you feel it sticks or not?
Yes, there is enthusiasm, there is a lot of desire, exchanges, dialogue both on the balance sheet and on the outlook, in particular emergencies, questions of purchasing power. There is also the issue of security which comes up regularly, we are in Grenoble, it is a reality… So the inhabitants are perfectly aware of the issues. Because ultimately, there are two different projects that are proposed to their votes on June 12 and 19: a project of rupture and blockage, against the European Union, against innovation, against the business world, against the universalism, against the police, against Emmanuel Macron in short, who was nevertheless elected President of the Republic by the French. And on the other, a project – which I am leading – a progress project, to improve people’s lives. And finally, it will be a question of voting either for the inhabitants, or against Emmanuel Macron. This is what this election is about.
A quick question about the burkini. Your opponent on the left Elisa Martin, Eric Piolle’s first assistant was our guest yesterday. She castigated the stubbornness of Eric Piolle on our antenna. Basically, on this question, you seem to agree, don’t you?
So I remind you, because we have talked a lot about this subject, that my position is clear and known to everyone. I want to repeat here that this is not a subject for or against Islam, for or against Muslims. I also want to repeat that for almost all of our fellow citizens of the Muslim faith, this is not their subject. Their subject is purchasing power, the fight against discrimination, the inaction of social landlords… And when I heard your guest yesterday morning, indeed, I agree that this is a debate which only lasted too long.
But I am shocked by her position, because of course she voted against, but she had the means to beat this vote. However, what did we see in the municipal council? That all of this was calculated, that Éric Piolle had the great balance of votes and that in reality, she was an accomplice in this pro burkini vote. And in this, it is unforgivable because she did not play fair with the Grenoble residents.
–
