« Enough of politicians’ lies, from both right and left wings, and for God’s sake, let’s stop using doublespeak », has declared politician Jean-François Copé, on his visit at prestigious London School of Economics on Wednesday (05/06/2013).
On the occasion of the conference he chaired on ‘France’s Place in Europe – One Year into the Socialist Presidency’, the co-leader of the French main Opposition Party UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire) gave an ante-bellum foretaste of a potential electoral programme for 2017. Copé’s rallying cry to establish a set of reforms won the applause of a flock of economists and political students, among them a majority of pro-Sarkozists.
Nationally known for his outspoken style, the ex right-arm man of French President Sarkozy stayed once again true to himself. He roughly outlined some solutions for France to increase growth, while proposing ways to ‘implement structural reforms in the public system’.
Copé first warned against the impossibility of bringing back growth without lowering down the high level of taxation, and offered the solution to decrease public spending. Moreover, reducing tax diversion would help pave the way for further banking reforms. In addition, he highlighted the need to give a greater balance between austerity policy and the necessity to maintain growth through investment in education, and Research & Development. The locus is on French political leaders to build competitiveness and strengthen France’s labour ‘attractiveness’.
Furthermore, the conference was firmly grounded on the necessity to bring a new impetus in international relations. The good news is, as Copé reminded, France is standing ahead as the world’s 5th GDP, and therefore has the capacity to monitor job seekers in order to build a more efficient employment scheme, based on ‘less ideology and more pragmatism’. The bad news however, French opinion is far too proud and despondent, and ‘worries more about politics and history rather than geography and economy’.
Copé thumbed his nose at Eurosceptic British Prime Minister Cameron, as he emphasised the importance of celebrating the European Union as a peaceful and integrated settlement. Yet he also pointed out the often unpredictable, non-unified composite EU intervention, especially during the Crisis in Mali, where no other EU country took the risk to join French troops in the battlefield. He briefly heralded ex German Chancellor Gherard Shroeder’s efforts regarding job market reforms, and highlighted Spanish problem of ‘having no proper industries’.
However, a couple of hours after his meeting with David Cameron, Copé probably thought wiser to remain silent on the Prime Minister’s position on austerity, and ‘shall see what he does’. Overall, his convictions lie in the ‘Europe of circles’ and in the ‘Europe of pioneers’, with a closer triangle relationship between France, Great Britain and Germany.
The talk was warmly welcomed among Pro-UMP advocates, despite the chaotic tension between JF Copé, the party’s second co-leader François Fillon, and ex President of the UMP, Nicolas Sarkozy, which has been broadly covered by French Media recently. New appointment of UMP Member Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet as the official candidate for mayoral elections in Paris for 2014 last Monday (03/06/13) is yet another brick added to the reconstruction and fortification of the UMP.
The conference was followed by a Q&A session related to unspoken topics, such as highly debated Gay marriage. Copé repeated his strong opposition to adoption, considering ‘sexual alteration and medically assisted procreation as real problems affecting children’s right to know their biological identity’. Considering himself as ‘politically incorrect’ but ‘very detached from extreme far right’, Copé underlined the need for a ‘controlled emigration’, and recognized French failed system of integration.
In his opinion, instead of helping emigrants to be ‘successful in their jobs’, inadequate approach to emigration from politicians foments more fears and negative tension over emigration issues, thus inevitably fostering the growth of radical and integrist movements.
Finally, right wing leader criticised French elitist education system, and the growing illiteracy in France. The system is ‘not well organized enough for those facing academic difficulties’, he said, which creates larger academic level gaps. He underscored the exemplarity of the British education system that encourages students to think ‘outside the box and be creative’, while strengthening self-confidence. A solution Copé proposed is to better evaluate heads of schools, and to further develop apprenticeship and pedagogy, as Germany does, in order to form a stronger link between companies and schools.
Jean-François Copé ended his speech directing a few last words towards the French youth living abroad: ‘we need you’, he declared very solemnly, calling for more political supporters. As Churchill once said, ‘No part of the education of a politician is more indispensable than the fighting of elections’, and so has Monsieur Copé learned the lesson.
To be continued –Rendez-vous in 2017
Photo Credit: MediaCam13
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