French prime minister vows to fight inflation, climate change

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday vowed to fight inflation and climate change.

Addressing lawmakers in the lower house of the parliament, amid boos and heckling, Borne acknowledged that the president’s alliance fell short of winning the absolute majority in last month’s general elections, and dismissed calls for a confidence vote.

Emmanuel Macron, who was re-elected for a second term as head of the state, failed to secure the absolute majority of 289 seats in the national assembly by winning only 245 seats in the elections.

Opposition parties refused to be part of Macron’s “national unity government” leaving his alliance vulnerable and unstable.

The left-wing coalition, NUPES, termed “illegitimate” Borne’s government based on a relative majority.

Borne announced her alliance's program, which includes no new tax increases, capping rent increases, and the abolition of the audiovisual license fee from this summer for 20 million households.

She highlighted the government’s priority to address inflation and carry out the ecological transition.

The crucial “purchasing power” bill will be tabled soon to tackle rising inflation, increase social benefits, and pensions, and help workers for whom the car is a necessity, she said.

On the environmental front, she assured to win the climate change battle, part of which will be to decarbonize society, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and invest in nuclear power with the construction of new reactors.

“We will be the first great ecological nation to get out of fossil fuels," she said.

Her government also aims to offer long-term rental of an electric car at less than 100 euros per month to reduce the environmental impact of fuel cars.