原創 Zhang Mei 中國投資參考
On July 18, EU leaders agreed to a comprehensive package of 1.8 trillion euros at a special European Council. This unprecedented stimulus plan aims to restore the European economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, the French government announced a recovery plan of 100 billion euros to rebuild its economy.
However, the second wave of the pandemic has once again impacted Europe. Can European countries "restart" their economies smoothly? How will France, a major European country, implement its recovery plan? What will France repurpose its economy in the post-pandemic era? Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former prime minister of France and chairman of the Prospective and Innovation Foundation, shared his views on these issues in an exclusive interview with China Investment.
China Investment: How do you evaluate the current situation in Europe and what impact it has on the world economy?
Jean-Pierre Raffarin: The situation in Europe is worrying. In terms of international relations, relations with Turkey are particularly strained. Security in Eastern Europe calls for "a new architecture of trust" with Russia. Brexit is also a major problem, even if it leads to strengthening the ties of continental Europe. More than ever, Europe’s engine is the Franco-German couple. On the economic front, the European Union's stimulus program is in place and the Central Bank is taking the necessary measures to support national economies. All in all, it is the sanitary situation which is the most worrying, with a powerful second wave which once again threatens the return to growth of the European economy.
China Investment: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Europe. What do you think of the relationship between China and Europe and China and France during this visit？
Jean-Pierre Raffarin: Minister Wang Li's visit was very important. He met with President Macron, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Constitutional Council and around fifty national personalities. I myself had the opportunity to exchange with him. Much has been said about strengthening Euro-Chinese cooperation at a time when multilateralism is being strongly challenged in the United-States. For years, the Franco-Chinese relationship has been stable, despite different political systems which lead to different political assessments on certain subjects, our common interests are multiple, both commercially and economically and in terms of global and environmental governance. In our opinion, our joint action for the "Paris agreements" is essential. France remains faithful to its 「Gaullist」 tradition in matters of foreign policy: independence and dialogue.
⬆ Leaders of the European Union and its member states attend the Video Summit of European Union at Brussels, Belgium on November 19, 2020. (Photo provided by EU/Xinhua)
China Investment: Affected by the epidemic, what challenges does France face in its economic development? How will the government respond? What goals do you expect to achieve？
Jean-Pierre Raffarin: The priority today is to control the pandemic. Partial containment measures have been decided. These measures may need to be tightened if the aggravation of the situation continues. The three main economic challenges ahead of us are the rising poverty, the rising unemployment and the growing debt. A recovery plan has been decided and it benefits from the support of the European Union plan (€ 750 billion). The government is particularly vigilant about the situation of unemployed private sector workers (financing of partial unemployment) and about the future of our SMEs (loans guaranteed by the State). The aim is to remain one of the leading economies in Europe and to strengthen European cohesion.
China Investment: What plans does France have to promote economic development? France has officially appointed a "planning high commissioner" in an attempt to look forward to government planning in 2022 and even 2030.Now, how does France consider the restart of the "plan" policy? why？
Jean-Pierre Raffarin: The President of the French Republic wished to strengthen the medium-term concerns within the nation’s politics. This is particularly necessary for priorities such as research and innovation, ecological transition and land use planning. The digital revolution is rapidly transforming our societies and public policies must constantly adapt. We are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, new energies including hydrogen, "smart cities" and of course the health industries. We do not envision this future without increasingly strong cooperation with Germany. In the field of international relations, we fight against protectionism and choose the logics of cooperation. Our wish is to build an independent Europe, open to the world and vigilant with regard to its interests.
原標題：《France Remains True to Its "Gaullist" Tradition》
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