By Oyintari Ben
French President, Emmanuel Macron, has vowed to “never leave the French without a solution” in the face of soaring inflation and strikes.
The storm will be weathered collectively, Mr. Macron added.
At the beginning of 2023, he said, France should expect a 15% increase in electricity and gas prices, but the government would maintain the energy tariff shield and assist enterprises, students, and low- and middle-income people.
According to Mr. Macron, the goal of the administration is to “stabilize public spending, repay our debts, preserve growth, create jobs, and decrease taxes.”
He pledged to provide young people greater employment prospects.
To prevent and put an end to strikes, especially the most recent ones that led to widespread fuel panics, the president called for “social dialogues.”
Additionally, Mr. Macron backed the pension reform that increased the retirement age to 65.
“Otherwise, pension contributions would need to go up or the retirement benefits for seniors will be cut,” he continued.
The French president declared, “Starting in 2023, we will have to increase the retirement age by four months annually.”
Mr. Macron admitted that France is a late adopter of producing electric vehicles and batteries when compared to China, but he still hopes to have two million electric vehicles and two million batteries produced in France by the conclusion of his tenure.
He added that the government would continue to provide subsidies to households for the purchase of electric vehicles.
