Jean-Marc Nollet a few hours from the debate between Macron and Le Pen: “I am disappointed with Macron. What he has done is marketing”

Jean-Marc Nollet, co-president of the Ecolo party, first commented on the vote of the French during the first round of the presidential election, where 55% of voters chose an extreme party. A political trend that would be possible in Belgium, according to the ecologist, but “Belgium has the strength to have political diversity in its hemicycle”, unlike France.

“It is obvious that no one is immune to extremism, no more in Belgium than elsewhere. The political model in which we live makes it possible to better represent diversity in the choices of voters. It is not still not normal that in the French National Assembly, there are no ecologists or groups as such even though they represent about ten percent of the population. national representation which is diversified”analyzes the politician.

Jean-Marc Nollet recognizes, however, that the traditional parties are losing momentum, and this, everywhere in Europe. “Faced with this, there is on the one hand the push of the extremes but also the potential of political ecology. To avoid the extremes, we must reinvent our democratic model, we must reoxygenate democracy”supports the co-president of Ecolo.

“One of the proposals I am making is to give back more direct power to the citizen. The latter is invited to express themselves and vote democratically every 5 or 6 years and I would like to be able to install in Belgium a form referendum. This cannot be an obstacle to the integration in our constitution of elements resulting from a referendum which I even call ‘preferendum’, which allows for more nuances and more capacities to better retain what citizens want in terms of political changes”, expose Jean-Marc Nollet.

“Whose fault is it?”

Regarding the debate this Wednesday evening between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the co-president of Ecolo wonders about the place of ecology in this French presidential election. An element too little present in the program of the two candidates, according to Nollet. “We talk far too little about ecology when it is an essential issue. There is no future for human beings on the planet if there is not better consideration of the issues, not only climatic, but also the issues of biodiversity, nature, the environment. or pollution. These subjects do not even make up 5% of the speaking time of candidates in France”regrets Jean-Marc Nollet.

The latter believes that there are two responsible for the fact that ecology is not addressed enough: the media and the candidates. “The media have their responsibility. Today, it’s quite exciting to read a lot of articles from French newspapers, to listen to television or the radio and to hear journalists say ‘We haven’t talked enough of climate during the electoral campaign”. It is true, but whose fault is it? Not only that of the political leaders. Even if yes, the other part of the leaders, it is the candidates like Macron and Le Pen who have relegated environmental and climate issues at the bottom of their program.”

The Rassemblement National candidate, Marine Le Pen, has already indicated that she wants to stop all wind projects and she talks very little about ecology. But is Emmanuel Macron more ecological than his opponent? Jean-Marc Nollet believes that it’s not complicated but it’s still not enough. “Being more ecological than Marine Le Pen is not difficult but it is not difficult enough. Macron presented himself in 2017 as an ecological candidate. He did some work with Nicolas Hulot at the start but we We very quickly realized that it was all marketing. I am fundamentally disappointed with Emmanuel Macron. When he had to concretize the Paris agreement, he was absent subscribers.

“I’m fed up with the clashes between Bouchez and Magnette”

Regarding Belgian politics, Jean-Marc Nollet has decided to release his own book entitled “Conquests”, which is a kind of manifesto on the renewal of democracy. “We have to get back to the fundamental debate. In the 240 pages of this book, I point out around twenty political conquests that we must seek, that we must go and build. The idea is not to say ‘Here is what what I propose to you is to take it or leave it’. It is to be discussed and built together.”

Since he is co-president at Ecolo, Jean-Marc Nollet is considered to be less divisive than in the past. A voluntary and assumed choice on the part of the ecologist who wants to return to the substantive debate. “I want to look for the clash much less. I think people are fed up with this policy of banging their heads instead of finding solutions. I am on the side of the solutions and I know the problems. I know how much we are expected at the turn and I precisely propose in my book pragmatic solutions and at the height of our possibilities.”

The politician then quotes Georges-Louis Bouchez who, according to him, does not turn to solutions but always to clash. “I’m fed up with these clashes between Bouchez and Magnette. Each time, we find the president of MR around the clashes. Well, I want to talk about something completely different. I want to talk about the substance, I want to talk about my analysis.”

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