NICOLAS SARKOZY RUTHLESS ON THE REIGN OF EMMANUEL MACRON

Nicolas Sarkozy supported Emmanuel Macron in the 2022 presidential election and he does not regret it. "In the interest of France, the best possible decision was therefore to help President Macron." “Politics is never a choice of absolute value, always a choice of relative value. During this presidential election, the Republican candidate, Valérie Pécresse, achieved an extremely low score in the first round. “To be able to choose a candidate in the second round, he still had to be qualified. Or that he has a credible chance of being so, ”says the former President of the Republic. He recalls that François Fillon made 20% in 2017, Valérie Pécresse 4.7% in 2022.

“Sometimes I wish he would cross the Rubicon”

He does not give a blank check to the current president: “Does this mean that I agree with everything, or satisfied with everything? This is an other story ". And he believes that Emmanuel Macron can sometimes be tempted to “stop in the middle of the ford. These are the disadvantages of 'at the same time'”, tackle Nicolas Sarkozy. Even if it means giving advice to the current Head of State: "I would sometimes like him to cross the Rubicon more frankly, because France is today mostly on the side of the party of authority, of firmness, freedom. Call it centre-right, centre, republican right, it doesn't matter: the country's strategic axis is clearly there”.

The use of section 49.3 an admission of weakness

Nicolas Sarkozy recalls that he never needed to use this article to have a text adopted without the vote of the deputies. He understands that Emmanuel Macron uses it, given that he does not have an absolute majority, but he warns that the head of state will not be able to do so indefinitely. He calls on Emmanuel Macron to "make a political agreement in good and due form with all those of goodwill ready to form a majority in the best interests of the country".

Thus the pension reform

The former president recalls first of all that his pension reform which has lowered the retirement age from 60 to 62 years "brings in 20 billion euros each year, which is very useful to pay the pensions of retirees". He believes that a further decline in the retirement age is the only solution to guarantee France's pension system, otherwise "the old-age system will go bankrupt". 63, 64 or 65, he does not specify his choice. He nevertheless believes that the retirement age should be immediately raised to 63 years.

The murder of Lola, "an absolute drama"

“I learned with dismay what had happened to Lola. I, like any father of a little girl of the same age, thought that it could have happened to her, ”says Nicolas Sarkozy in the JDD. “Mad people, barbarians, men or women, have always existed. I would like us not to mix everything, ”continues the former head of state. He is virulent vis-à-vis the political controversy surrounding this affair. "Political exploitation is still just as stupid and counter-productive."

“The non-execution of decisions to leave the territory is not the issue. I would have been just as upset if this despicable act had been committed by a Frenchman, ”supports the former tenant of the Élysée. For him, “the death of Lola, whoever the criminal, is an absolute tragedy. But I want to add that if Lola were still alive, I would still be outraged by the non-execution of deportations to the border,” he added.

"In my day, OQTFs weren't at 6% execution"

In the case of the murder of Lola, the main suspect was concerned by an Obligation to leave the territory. “We should have been concerned about the non-execution of escorts to the border for a long time,” explains Nicolas Sarkozy, returning to his visit to the Élysée. “I changed the law. I was literally insulted during my five years in office by all the 'human rights' people because we went so far as to organize return charters to the countries of origin. »

Before pointing the finger at the balance sheet of “immediate successor”” implied François Hollande. “In my time, the OQTFs were not at 6% execution, even if there was progress to be made. "The legislative arsenal to fight against irregular immigration that we had put in place has been systematically dismantled by my immediate successor. Gérald Darmanin is right to demand more firmness", assures Nicolas Sarkozy.

The energy crisis: the result of an “irresponsible strategic choice”

Among the subjects discussed with our colleagues from the JDD, Nicolas Sarkozy spoke about the energy crisis that France is going through. If the country is threatened by power cuts this winter, for the former tenant of the Élysée, this risk “is the result of an irresponsible strategic choice, in complete rupture with the history of the Fifth Republic. All the presidents, including François Mitterrand (...) have supported nuclear power. Until François Hollande who, to seduce the ecologists, took the foolish risk of suspending the future of the French nuclear industry”, castigates Nicolas Sarkozy.

The war in Ukraine: we must "alas" be worried about it

The former head of state also discusses the war in Ukraine, and for him, it is necessary “alas! " to worry. “I would like someone to explain to me one day what it means to 'wage war without making it'”, he says. “If there is a concept that should require clarity, it is that of war and peace. Either we make war or we make peace. Combining the two doesn't make much sense. In any case, when they are used at the same time”, explains Nicolas Sarkozy.

The former head of state believes that Emmanuel Macron is right to keep in touch with Vladimir Putin and that France has a key role to play. “Europe and Russia are condemned to maintain relations of peace and good neighborliness. If we have achieved Franco-German reconciliation, we will be able to reconcile Europe and Russia. It is up to France to take the lead in this crisis”.

His trial in the wiretapping case

Nicolas Sarkozy will be tried on appeal in the so-called wiretapping case at the end of the year.

He recalls that all his accounts have been scrutinized in detail for ten years - including his mother's estate - but he intends "to prove that I have never betrayed the confidence of the French".