Today.Az » World news » Eyeing green vote, Macron vows to exit oil, coal and gas
17 April 2022 [18:45] - Today.Az


By Trend

President Emmanuel Macron promised on Saturday to make France the "first great nation" to stop using oil, coal and gas as energy sources, in a pitch to young and green voters he fears could abstain in next week's election runoff, Trend reports citing Reuters.

In a rally in the Mediterranean city of Marseille, which voted massively for left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round of voting, Macron sought to widen what opinion polls show as a small lead over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Ahead of the April 24 runoff, the presidential race is being fought on the left, with both contenders seeking to attract voters who chose Melenchon in the first round last Sunday.

Macron said he would put his next prime minister directly in charge of what he called "green planning", appealing to left-wing voters' nostalgia for post-war Communist-inspired central planning while tapping into 21st century worries about climate change.

"I have heard the anxiety amongst our young people," Macron told flag-waving supporters at a park overlooking the Old Port in Marseille, France's second city.

"This prime minister's mission will be to make France the first great nation to exit gas, oil and coal. It's possible, and we'll do it," Macron said. "Between coal and gas on one hand, and nuclear on the other, I choose nuclear."

The president wants to build six new nuclear reactors and launch studies for another eight, increase solar energy capacity tenfold and build 50 wind farms at sea by mid-century. He also wants to insulate 700,000 homes per year to save energy.



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