WEBVTT - French Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret Talks Political Outlook

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<v Speaker 1>Michelle Barney was brought in with his legendary negotiation skills

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<v Speaker 1>to try and bring together Parliament to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>pass a budget. He failed, and question turns now to

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<v Speaker 1>who could possibly succeed him this as investors are watching

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<v Speaker 1>closely what's happening as well. I'm just looking at the

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<v Speaker 1>latest commentary out of the Moody's Ratings Agency talking about

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<v Speaker 1>the fall of the Barneer government, deepening the country's political

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<v Speaker 1>stalemate and also contributing to a higher cost of debt

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<v Speaker 1>as well, saying that this complicates policymaking in France, perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>an understatement for those who are involved in it, given

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<v Speaker 1>how difficult things have been in recent months as well.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to discuss this and please to say we're

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<v Speaker 1>joined this morning by the Socialist Party Senator Elen Conway More,

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<v Speaker 1>who represents French citizens living abroad and as a former

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<v Speaker 1>minister under President Francois and good morning, senator, thank you

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<v Speaker 1>very much for being with us on Bloomberg Radio. How

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<v Speaker 1>big a crisis is this? The President of the National Assembly,

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<v Speaker 1>Yelbon PV is saying this morning this is a collective

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<v Speaker 1>failure of politicians.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, indeed it is, but I think, you know, there's

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<v Speaker 2>always a good side to any crisis, and this is

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<v Speaker 2>a political crisis. It's not a financial one. We have

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<v Speaker 2>a political crisis because we have, for the first time

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<v Speaker 2>in the National Assembly three blocks. And obviously the fall

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<v Speaker 2>of Michelle Barnier was quite predictable in so far as

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<v Speaker 2>when two blocks come together, of course they get a majority.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think Michelle Barnier raised a lot of hopes

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<v Speaker 2>in that. Indeed, he has these credentials of, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>being a good negotiator, but I think he failed in

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<v Speaker 2>that one.

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<v Speaker 3>He failed to.

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<v Speaker 2>Be able to rally you know, the Democrats if you like,

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<v Speaker 2>within the Assembly and turned to his extreme right to

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<v Speaker 2>try to find compromises.

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<v Speaker 3>And of course that got his downfall. So it was

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<v Speaker 3>all predictable.

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<v Speaker 2>Now what is unfortunate is that it's happening in the

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<v Speaker 2>middle of the discussions that we are having on the budget.

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<v Speaker 1>Who could do a better job at the point, would

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<v Speaker 1>you want to see somebody from your party nominated as

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<v Speaker 1>Prime minister, Well it could be.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we need somebody who is capable of getting compromises.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, this is what we're doing in the Senate

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<v Speaker 3>all the time.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, this is a tradition that we have and

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<v Speaker 2>indeed usually we get majority votes on most texts as

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<v Speaker 2>we're capable of looking into what everybody wants, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>obviously different vision of society and what may be a priority.

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<v Speaker 2>But when you give everybody a little bit of what

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<v Speaker 2>they want, it works. So I think we need somebody

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<v Speaker 2>who is capable today of getting these compromises, and certainly

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<v Speaker 2>somebody who can form a government very very quickly. There's

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<v Speaker 2>no shutdown as you know it happens in the United

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<v Speaker 2>States with us because we have a number of articles

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<v Speaker 2>in our constitution that allows us to manage in in

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<v Speaker 2>a political crisis, which is.

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<v Speaker 3>One that we're having now.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that last one was in nineteen sixty two,

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<v Speaker 2>so it's not pretty current in French politics to have

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<v Speaker 2>this type of situation.

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<v Speaker 3>But we just now need a government that.

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<v Speaker 2>Will be holding together and maybe that will represent what

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<v Speaker 2>the National Assembly is about now far more and just

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<v Speaker 2>move away from the old style where we had majority

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<v Speaker 2>and a minority. You know, it was a binary system

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<v Speaker 2>which existed in a lot of countries. I mean Germany,

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<v Speaker 2>it was the same, you know, and you know, an

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<v Speaker 2>image of what the United States have, you know, with

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<v Speaker 2>Republicans and Democrats.

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<v Speaker 3>But now we have a lot of new parties, movements

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<v Speaker 3>and so on, and therefore I think the political world

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<v Speaker 3>needs to basically kind of work, you know, on a

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<v Speaker 3>new setup which you know, it's kind of changing its.

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<v Speaker 2>Culture, and that takes a little bit of time, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think this crisis is pushing.

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<v Speaker 3>Them to do it.

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<v Speaker 1>But your party is central to us. If we look

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<v Speaker 1>at the makeup of the National Assembly, we know that

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<v Speaker 1>the centrist parties won't work with the far right or

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<v Speaker 1>the far left, so that leaves the Socialist Party in

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<v Speaker 1>greater numbers. Since the elections last in the summer, what

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<v Speaker 1>could convince the Socialist Party to separate themselves from the

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<v Speaker 1>new Popular Front from the hard left parties and to

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<v Speaker 1>join a sort of unity government of the center. What

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<v Speaker 1>will be the key policies that would win your support?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the key policy is obviously social I mean we

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<v Speaker 2>have indicated that we have we gave gave reservations as

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<v Speaker 2>to what the money government was presenting while we we

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<v Speaker 2>realized that savings sort to be made because of the

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<v Speaker 2>deficit today that France has. But I think what will

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<v Speaker 2>wish to answer your question would be a government where

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<v Speaker 2>there is a representation of all those who are Democrats

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<v Speaker 2>who believe that we can move forward together and having

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<v Speaker 2>you know, discussions. I think the political leaders are going

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<v Speaker 2>to meet with the president today, and I think if

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<v Speaker 2>the President in his address tonight on television at the

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<v Speaker 2>eight PM has a name that you know, he has

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<v Speaker 2>discussed with all political leaders and which would be agreeable

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<v Speaker 2>to all of them, I think we would be in

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<v Speaker 2>a position to you know, participate in the government and

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<v Speaker 2>indeed support and certainly devote the budget, which is the

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<v Speaker 2>most important thing for twenty twenty five, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>And then the end though of the need would that

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<v Speaker 1>be the end of the new Popular Front alliance?

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<v Speaker 2>Though?

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<v Speaker 1>Would your party separate themselves from their partners in that alliance?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, there are.

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<v Speaker 2>Three are four parties in that alliance, and three of

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<v Speaker 2>them are have indicated that they want to move forward,

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<v Speaker 2>they do not wish the president to resign, uh, and that.

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<v Speaker 3>They are very willing to move forward. So, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>three out of four.

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<v Speaker 2>So maybe it will be a new a new alliance

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<v Speaker 2>if you like, with three with three parties rather than.

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<v Speaker 3>Four of them.

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<v Speaker 1>Two names from your party who's been floated around as

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<v Speaker 1>potential candidates Segal and Royale, former Environment Minister and presidential candidate.

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<v Speaker 1>Bernard Kasnov, former Prime Minister. Would either of those be

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<v Speaker 1>people eat support well.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, of course, But there are others as well that

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<v Speaker 2>have not been named by the media that will be

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<v Speaker 2>potential candidates.

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<v Speaker 3>But we will see, we will see.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, you know, it's not I think you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we have learned from proposing a name that was refused

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<v Speaker 2>by the President and we're not going this time forward

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<v Speaker 2>with names.

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<v Speaker 3>Just see what the President has.

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<v Speaker 2>In mind in mind and then see if we can

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<v Speaker 2>get an agreement on just not the prime minister, but

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<v Speaker 2>the full government that will be you know, uh put

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<v Speaker 2>in place and we hope as quickly as possible.

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<v Speaker 1>Allen Conway, MOWA, thank you so much for your time

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<v Speaker 1>on the program this morning. Socialist Party senator and former

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<v Speaker 1>minister under President Francois Holand we appreciate your insights and contribution.