WEBVTT - French Politician Michel Jean Barnier Talks Elections, Brexit 0:00:02.440 --> 0:00:06.800 Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:14.480 It is time to go out to the beautiful and 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:18.000 rather warm Axon Province in southern France. There is an 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:22.440 economic conference underway. This is conference taking place in the backdrop, 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:26.040 of course a key Sunday vote, a legislative vote is 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:28.960 an election. And we head to the conference. Now, former 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:32.680 EU Commissioner for Brexit Michelle Barnier joins Avari and Carolyne 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:35.040 Conan take it away, and I'm very happy to. 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:38.000 Be joined by Michelle Vanier from this economy confernce in 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:41.879 excellent province, former EU Commissioner of course and a negotiator 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:46.520 for Brexit. Good after the Michell Vannier first, one question 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:49.600 on the UK. We had this as stunding victory of 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.840 the Labor Party with Q Sarmer. Do you think this 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:58.040 is the result of the bad consequences eight years of Brexit? 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:01.680 Be first to congratulated guest Armor the lib Dems also 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:07.080 after the great victory. To be fair, I don't think 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.880 that all the current difficulties of the UK, social difficulty 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:17.560 and employment intation and the change linked thanks to the 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.120 British people to these difficulties. I don't think that all 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:24.399 these difficulties are linked to the Brexit, But at one 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:27.600 point I'm sure of is that all the difficulties are 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:33.000 more serious because of the Brexit, because it was a nonsense. 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:38.080 Had a great illusion, to repeat the title of my book, 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.959 for the contemptory party to think that they will be 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:48.440 a stronger outside of the biggest free market, which is 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:50.760 free the unique the single market that the. 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.520 You we know, the National Valley and many parties across 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:59.360 Surob have now gone down this idea of Frexit since Brexit, 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.480 but still in your book the great Illusion, you actually 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:10.280 mentioned warning to France about these problems of the government 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:14.919 being out of touch with the population, the problem of immigration, 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.640 the cost of living. Do you think what we're living 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:20.640 right now in France has the same roots as the 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:21.800 brexst vote. 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:26.320 My answer is yes, and the reason why I called 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:29.280 my first chapter in my book the Diary of the 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:36.720 Breakfast Negotiation the warning. And I always try to respect 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:41.880 the UK people and my counterparty this negotiation have lots 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:44.520 of admiration for the UK people for a long time, 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.880 and I will not change, but I work a lot 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:52.200 on the roots. The reason why fifty two percent of 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:57.200 the British people vote against Europe eight years ago. And 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:00.079 when you look at the reason that the roots, you 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:03.600 can see many regions or UK, but it's talk about 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:07.560 now but the same the same moods as we can 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:13.280 What is is oot in France now in many regions, unemployment, 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:19.200 bad public services. You look in front and you look 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:24.760 at four curbs which are parallel, the curb of the 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:28.519 vote for the right, for the far right, for the 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:33.840 National Valley, the curb of unemployment, the curb of distance 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:38.040 of your house and the railway station and the route 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:41.840 under the curb of your house to a doctor. And 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:46.560 these four curbs are paralleled. So we have to tackle, 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.440 we have to address, We have to understand what is 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:54.600 in France, the popular feeling, the social anger, the same 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:58.560 moods are as in the UK eight years ago. 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.560 What do you think possible victory, because that's still possible 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:06.440 of the far right on Sunday, what do you think 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:09.160 that would mean for the image of France approad, for 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:13.840 investors who want to put their money into France today. 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.239 First award it remains for a few hours, two days 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:23.400 to draw the French lesson of the Brexit and not 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:28.440 to do the same mistake as the UK eight years before. 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:33.279 So I think that we can avoid such a result 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:36.719 and find a way to build a new majority in 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:42.440 the past, even it will be difficult to refund. I 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:46.680 think that the program of the far right is incredible, 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:53.240 is a poution anti business and populist program. So it's 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.680 the reason why I proposed firm little this program. 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:03.200 The alternative today is a handful where possibly some technical 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:08.320 figures forming a wide coalition. Do you believe that's possible 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.960 in France? And would you actually be willing to be 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.920 part of this, to be part of a new wide 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:17.120 coalition that includes the moderates from the left and from 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:19.840 the right, And I remind of yours that you are 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:21.320 moderate Republicans. 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:27.039 Yes, but it's not useful to personalize the discussion. For 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:29.880 the moment, we have to vote. Let the people vote. 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:34.200 In France, they are free, they are chuldren and the 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:37.080 vote will be important. And I don't know what will 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:42.160 be this vote, And on Sunday night we will see 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:47.159 exactly how many groups, how many members of the parliament 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:50.040 in each group, and if it's possible to build something 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.919 different from the far right, I don't know yet. But 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:56.960 it's difficult to speak about the coalition before knowing the 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:58.760 exact result of the directions. 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.440 But if President my won't cause you next week and 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.040 offers you the job as prime minister to be taken. 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:06.800 Once against, it's not useful to personal life. It's too 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:09.719 soon and we have to respect the vote of the 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:14.440 people first of all, the right sense. Let the people 0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:15.799 vote on Sunday. 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.320 Jordan Badelad, the National Rally president, has said he would 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:22.080 refuse to become prime minister if he doesn't have an 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:25.599 outright majority. Marion Lafin, however, has been saying that she 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:28.960 will try and grab those fifteen twenty law makers missing 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:31.680 if she's just a few seats away. Do you think 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:34.280 some of them moderate Republicans in your camp who might 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:38.799 be elected on Sunday will actually join this possible national 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:40.080 value Republican governor. 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:42.680 I don't think so. I don't think she got the 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:46.120 people our party want to leave. Has already left with 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:50.200 mister Curt a few weeks ago to join our right. 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.800 It's not my line, it's not our line, and all 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:56.520 the other members will be elected as hope large nabor 0:06:56.400 --> 0:07:01.239 of members, perhaps fifty or fifty five will be all 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:04.359 elected against the fun right. So don't ask them to 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:05.279 join us. 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.400 Do you think there will be, no matter who wins 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.080 on Sunday, a sort of clash showdown with the EU 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:15.600 later down the one in the fall when we got 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:17.760 the budget on his SCOO goals and on. 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.920 The budget, depending on what we'll be elected, what will 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:23.840 be the majority? I think if we speak about a 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:29.640 new alternative majority in France, my goal, my wish at 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.880 conviction is that the people who will have to work 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:38.280 together must be on the European line. It is the 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:40.760 blue line, the red line for us. 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:43.760 Finally, how big are the chance is that in a 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:46.880 few months or in a few years from now will 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:49.520 have Donald Trump in the US man in THEE ten 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.280 in France, two populist governments on both sides of the advantage. 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.760 The worst is never sure, So we will see in 0:07:56.760 --> 0:08:00.840 France next Sunday. I think it's still possible to avoid 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:04.320 the far right power to keep the European line and 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:10.120 the reasonable light for France keeping his role in Europe. 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:13.200 And we will see for the US. But anyway, what 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:15.960 would happen in the US, what will be the next president? 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:21.520 That's very clear. What we are not ready to do 0:08:21.560 --> 0:08:24.760 for ourselves and Europeans, nobody will do for us. 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:27.760 Michelle Vannie, thank you very much for joining us from 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:31.160 X on communs. One of the rare political figures present 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:34.760 here in x at this economic conference, because none of 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:37.640 the ministers from Macro's government is actually. 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:39.760 Here these days. 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:41.400 Interesting, Carolyn conn and thank you so much. 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:42.000 We appreciate that. 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:45.000 Carolyn Connan with Michelle Money, a former 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:47.599 EU Commissioner in charge of the Brexit negotiations.