The new government of French President Emmanuel Macron is a mix of established politicians and newcomers. They come from both the left and the right and there are an equal number of men and women. 2 outspoken left-wing men have been put on agriculture and ecology.
The new Minister of Agriculture and Food has an outspoken left-wing opinion. Jacques Mézard (69) is a lawyer and senator for the Parti Radical de Gauche, where he worked on legislation. It is up to Mézard to steer French agriculture through the crisis as best as possible. This should be done, among other things, with the 5-year investment program of 5 billion euros to modernize agricultural companies. The aim is to enable farmers to earn a decent income.
Continue Le Foll policy
Mézard says he will continue the policy of his predecessor Stéphane Le Foll, who was quite popular among farmers. He sees no reason to change that. The new agriculture minister wants to maintain the pillars of French agricultural policy, especially in relation to Europe. 'Farmers are essential to the country. We have a duty to protect and help them modernize. We cannot abandon agriculture to its fate. That is why I will try to make French agriculture perform at its best," he told farmers.
unreliable subject
Another notable name has been appointed Minister of Ecology. Nicolas Hulot (62) is a well-known environmental activist in France, without any political background. Hulot is a well-known journalist and TV producer in France, who said 'no' to the 3 previous presidents. In 2011, he ran for the presidency on behalf of the French Greens. That failed miserably, because unlike the general public, Hulot is seen by the green far-left politics as an unreliable subject of big business.
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