I touched the limits of our political system, which pushes one to last-minute compromises. Explanati...
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I touched the limits of our political system, which pushes one to last-minute compromises. Explanations are rarely given. It plays to people's fears because it hasn't built an ideological consensus. It produces flawed solutions and too often ignores reality.
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France has to reform, to recover, and get more competitiveness.
France has to reform, to recover, and get more competitiveness.
You can suddenly have a series of countries waking up and saying, 'I want the same status as the Bri...
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You can suddenly have a series of countries waking up and saying, 'I want the same status as the Brits,' which will be, de facto, the dismantling of the rest of Europe.
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What matters to me is to find rational solutions for those that are facing difficulties so that Fran...
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What matters to me is to find rational solutions for those that are facing difficulties so that France preserves jobs and its ability to innovate.
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We have to be extremely strict on the implementation of Brexit so there is a common approach between...
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We have to be extremely strict on the implementation of Brexit so there is a common approach between member states. We must avoid a sector-by-sector or country-by-country approach, and ask the U.K. to be clear.
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I think when people have pudding and jobs, they vote for you.
I think when people have pudding and jobs, they vote for you.
The state has an offensive and defensive role to play as promoter of industrial policies, as regulat...
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The state has an offensive and defensive role to play as promoter of industrial policies, as regulator and as shareholder.
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We will open a new bunch of reforms regarding the labor market to make it simpler and adaptable, mor...
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We will open a new bunch of reforms regarding the labor market to make it simpler and adaptable, more flexible.
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Consolidation means less equipment, less networks, and less jobs.
Consolidation means less equipment, less networks, and less jobs.
[on becoming, at 39, the youngest President of France] Everone said it was impossible. But they didn...
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[on becoming, at 39, the youngest President of France] Everone said it was impossible. But they didn't know France.
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Even if the Brits decide to remain, we will have to avoid a contagion on other countries.
Even if the Brits decide to remain, we will have to avoid a contagion on other countries.
The functioning of our society is in a certain way sclerotic.
The functioning of our society is in a certain way sclerotic.
I don't have luxurious tastes or great needs, but my independence is worth a lot to me.
I don't have luxurious tastes or great needs, but my independence is worth a lot to me.
The only way governments or would-be governments respond to ills these days is by seeking to lower t...
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The only way governments or would-be governments respond to ills these days is by seeking to lower the temperature... and that tends to mean public spending.
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I push reforms. I tell the truth to people, even when it's tough for the country.
I push reforms. I tell the truth to people, even when it's tough for the country.
Leaving the E.U. would mean the 'Guernseyfication' of the U.K., which would then be a little country...
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Leaving the E.U. would mean the 'Guernseyfication' of the U.K., which would then be a little country on the world scale. It would isolate itself and become a trading post and arbitration place at Europe's border.
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We have to shift the social model from a lot of formal protections toward loosening bottlenecks in t...
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We have to shift the social model from a lot of formal protections toward loosening bottlenecks in the economy.
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When politics is no longer a mission but a profession, politicians become more self-serving than pub...
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When politics is no longer a mission but a profession, politicians become more self-serving than public servants.
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If I was British, I would vote resolutely 'remain' because it's in the U.K.'s interest.
If I was British, I would vote resolutely 'remain' because it's in the U.K.'s interest.
Brexit is the other face of the refugee crisis - tensions that lead to stasis, external risks that l...
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Brexit is the other face of the refugee crisis - tensions that lead to stasis, external risks that lead to asymmetric shocks.
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Without investment, you cannot have jobs.
Without investment, you cannot have jobs.
We have a huge responsibility to make sure that Europe remains a prosperous and peaceful continent.
We have a huge responsibility to make sure that Europe remains a prosperous and peaceful continent.
We have to accept the idea that Europe will be made on a two-speed basis, with a union based on soli...
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We have to accept the idea that Europe will be made on a two-speed basis, with a union based on solidarity and differentiation.
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The financial passport is part of full access to the E.U. market, and a precondition for that is the...
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The financial passport is part of full access to the E.U. market, and a precondition for that is the contribution to the E.U. budget. That has been the case in Norway and in Switzerland. That is clear.
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France is a strong, wealthy country.
France is a strong, wealthy country.
The doctors, whether based in Brussels or Paris, draw the same conclusions and write the same prescr...
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The doctors, whether based in Brussels or Paris, draw the same conclusions and write the same prescriptions.
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I am from the Left, but I am happy to work with people from the Right.
I am from the Left, but I am happy to work with people from the Right.
I come all wreathed in a reputation the press has made for me. Judge me on my actions. That's all th...
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I come all wreathed in a reputation the press has made for me. Judge me on my actions. That's all that counts.
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We need young Frenchmen who want to become billionaires.
We need young Frenchmen who want to become billionaires.
What we need is a common goal for more Europe.
What we need is a common goal for more Europe.
E.U. is the first global domestic market.
E.U. is the first global domestic market.
Popularity isn't my compass. Unless it can help one to act, to be understood... that's what counts.
Popularity isn't my compass. Unless it can help one to act, to be understood... that's what counts.
As to the euro zone avant-garde, it must go towards more solidarity and integration: a common budget...
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As to the euro zone avant-garde, it must go towards more solidarity and integration: a common budget, a common borrowing capability, and fiscal convergence.
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[on the 100th Armistice Day, November 11, 2018] Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying, ...
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[on the 100th Armistice Day, November 11, 2018] Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying, "Our interests first, who cares about the others" we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace, and what is essential in moral values.
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To avoid the trap of Europe fragmenting on the economy, security, and identity, we have to return to...
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To avoid the trap of Europe fragmenting on the economy, security, and identity, we have to return to the original promises of the European project: peace, prosperity and freedom. We should have a real, adult, democratic debate about the Europe we want.
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I kept trying, proposing, pushing... If you want to succeed, you cannot leave work half done, and un...
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I kept trying, proposing, pushing... If you want to succeed, you cannot leave work half done, and unfortunately, many things were left half done. The choice was made not to launch a second wave of economic reforms that I was proposing.
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Historically speaking, the French economy was largely driven by the demand side.
Historically speaking, the French economy was largely driven by the demand side.
To think that our political organisation is immutable is the best way to hand the country over to th...
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To think that our political organisation is immutable is the best way to hand the country over to the extremes.
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You can block a marriage, but you cannot force a marriage.
You can block a marriage, but you cannot force a marriage.
We have a lack of growth in Europe, in eurozone, and in France, and we are struggling hard to recove...
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We have a lack of growth in Europe, in eurozone, and in France, and we are struggling hard to recover and restore this growth.
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Believe in individual initiatives, in courage, in risk.
Believe in individual initiatives, in courage, in risk.
A Left that does nothing achieves nothing.
A Left that does nothing achieves nothing.
We have the eurozone. Could we accept to be cleared, regulated, and de facto have inflows and outflo...
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We have the eurozone. Could we accept to be cleared, regulated, and de facto have inflows and outflows from a country that has decided to leave the E.U.? For me, definitely not.
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We should not replicate the situation where one country is in a situation to hijack the rest of Euro...
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We should not replicate the situation where one country is in a situation to hijack the rest of Europe because they organize a referendum.
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I want France to become the European hub for R&D.
I want France to become the European hub for R&D.
We have no choice but to reform this country.
We have no choice but to reform this country.
Popularity isn't an objective in itself. I'm not in this game.
Popularity isn't an objective in itself. I'm not in this game.
I've taken my time. I've thought about it; I've consulted, and I've decided that we are going to cre...
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I've taken my time. I've thought about it; I've consulted, and I've decided that we are going to create a new political movement, one that will be neither on the Right or the Left.
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When you discuss your steel industry with China you are credible because you are part of the E.U., n...
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When you discuss your steel industry with China you are credible because you are part of the E.U., not because you are just U.K. You will be completely killed otherwise. You will never be in the situation to negotiate face to face with the Chinese because your domestic market is not relevant for the Chinese in comparison with their domestic market.
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We back Hinkley Point project. It's very important for France; it's very important for the nuclear s...
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We back Hinkley Point project. It's very important for France; it's very important for the nuclear sector and EDF.
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We need to restore democracy and sovereignty in Europe.
We need to restore democracy and sovereignty in Europe.
If approval was a criterion in this country, nothing would ever get done.
If approval was a criterion in this country, nothing would ever get done.
We've created rigidities at the entrance point in artisanal occupations.
We've created rigidities at the entrance point in artisanal occupations.
I am attached to a strict approach to Brexit: I respect the British vote, but the worst thing would ...
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I am attached to a strict approach to Brexit: I respect the British vote, but the worst thing would be a sort of weak E.U. vis-a-vis the British.
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Sovereignty is not just at the national level; that's the mistake of Brexit that other people make.
Sovereignty is not just at the national level; that's the mistake of Brexit that other people make.
When the president and the prime minister decide to implement reforms, they have all the measures th...
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When the president and the prime minister decide to implement reforms, they have all the measures they need to pass them and enforce them.
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The refugee crisis shows we can't be isolated from the world's geopolitical troubles.
The refugee crisis shows we can't be isolated from the world's geopolitical troubles.
I learned the life of business, commerce - it's an art.
I learned the life of business, commerce - it's an art.
Under the French system, you have to take into consideration that every five years, the president is...
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Under the French system, you have to take into consideration that every five years, the president is directly elected by the people. He's the one that has the legitimacy.
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We can't have our industry progressively destroyed by cheap Chinese imports.
We can't have our industry progressively destroyed by cheap Chinese imports.
France is back.
France is back.
I have a vision of my country, and I cannot sit and watch things pass by.
I have a vision of my country, and I cannot sit and watch things pass by.
We need people who dream impossible things, who maybe fail, sometimes succeed, but in any case who h...
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We need people who dream impossible things, who maybe fail, sometimes succeed, but in any case who have that ambition.
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My key message is be innovative, be ambitious; think global and big on day one.
My key message is be innovative, be ambitious; think global and big on day one.
I don't believe that killing the French model in order to become the U.K. or the United States overn...
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I don't believe that killing the French model in order to become the U.K. or the United States overnight is the solution. You have a big debate on inequality there, and for our society, a lot of inequality would not be bearable.
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What we need is much more flexibility for the labour markets.
What we need is much more flexibility for the labour markets.
We have to reconcile Europeans with Europe.
We have to reconcile Europeans with Europe.
My priority is my economy minister mandate and to create momentum.
My priority is my economy minister mandate and to create momentum.
Honesty compels me to say that I am not a socialist. But so what?
Honesty compels me to say that I am not a socialist. But so what?
I don't want to create a too-big-to-fail player.
I don't want to create a too-big-to-fail player.
The refugee crisis is a challenge for the whole of Europe, and Europe - it's a very fair point to sa...
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The refugee crisis is a challenge for the whole of Europe, and Europe - it's a very fair point to say it's not just a security issue. It's also an economic issue.
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I realised how much the system did not want to change.
I realised how much the system did not want to change.
I am not a socialist.
I am not a socialist.
I'm in a left-wing government, unashamedly... but I also want to work with people from the Right who...
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I'm in a left-wing government, unashamedly... but I also want to work with people from the Right who commit to the same values.
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You need a debate and a vote on the principles: Do you want more Europe or less Europe? Do you belie...
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You need a debate and a vote on the principles: Do you want more Europe or less Europe? Do you believe we are more efficient with defense and security with Europe, or not? Do you believe we are more efficient for our companies with or without Europe? Those are the questions we have to discuss and push our people to vote on it.
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The 28-member Europe must be simpler, clearer, more efficient, and continue to advance on digital an...
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The 28-member Europe must be simpler, clearer, more efficient, and continue to advance on digital and energy issues.
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In a common project, we can bring together well-meaning people from the Left and the Right.
In a common project, we can bring together well-meaning people from the Left and the Right.
If I were to reason like those who roll out red carpets, I would say we might have some repatriation...
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If I were to reason like those who roll out red carpets, I would say we might have some repatriations from the City of London.
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The status quo leads to self-destruction.
The status quo leads to self-destruction.
We have to breathe new life into Europe.
We have to breathe new life into Europe.
We are implementing an in-depth reform on labor market, not to reduce rights for workers but to prov...
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We are implementing an in-depth reform on labor market, not to reduce rights for workers but to provide more visibility and more efficiency to investors and employers because it's the key for job creation.
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I have decided to create a new political movement.
I have decided to create a new political movement.
It's about our ability precisely to integrate a people and offer jobs, and that, for me, is one of t...
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It's about our ability precisely to integrate a people and offer jobs, and that, for me, is one of the key rationales of the reforms I'm pushing, and I'm a strong believer in that when you lift barriers, when you deregulate a lot of stuff, basically you improve the equality of opportunities.
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I'm not a movie star, and I don't want to become a movie star.
I'm not a movie star, and I don't want to become a movie star.
De facto, you have a multi-speed Europe. You look at the Schengen, you look at the euro zone, all th...
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De facto, you have a multi-speed Europe. You look at the Schengen, you look at the euro zone, all this kind of cooperations, you have a multi-speed Europe.
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We can't fix the real problems if we only cauterize and don't treat the roots of evil.
We can't fix the real problems if we only cauterize and don't treat the roots of evil.
To create greater convergence, we need more integration.
To create greater convergence, we need more integration.
We're not isolated from the world. The world knocks on our door.
We're not isolated from the world. The world knocks on our door.
The best way to afford a suit is to work.
The best way to afford a suit is to work.
I don't want a tailor-made approach where the British have the best of two worlds. That will be too ...
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I don't want a tailor-made approach where the British have the best of two worlds. That will be too big an incentive for others to leave and kill the European idea, which is based on shared responsibilities.
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A romantic or classical view of the French approach would have been to say, 'It's a French company; ...
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A romantic or classical view of the French approach would have been to say, 'It's a French company; let no one attack it. Let's block any merger. But the reality is Alcatel-Lucent is not a French company; it's a global company. Its main markets are China and the U.S. Its ownership is foreign; most of its managers aren't French.
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I am not just a liberal movement. I come from the progressive Left. I am trying to refresh and count...
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I am not just a liberal movement. I come from the progressive Left. I am trying to refresh and counter the system.
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You need basically some accountability rules, which means democratic checks and balances at the euro...
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You need basically some accountability rules, which means democratic checks and balances at the euro zone level, and definitely, you have to increase convergence in terms of taxes, in terms of social affairs and so on.
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[defending his economic policies in a speech to Parliament, 2018] If you want to share the cake, you...
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[defending his economic policies in a speech to Parliament, 2018] If you want to share the cake, you've got to have a cake.
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France has to accelerate in terms of reform.
France has to accelerate in terms of reform.
We ask our companies to restructure; we ask employees to work more for less money because there is o...
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We ask our companies to restructure; we ask employees to work more for less money because there is overproduction, but then we're unable to defend them from cheaper Chinese imports. We are insane.
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Europe's younger generation has only experienced austerity.
Europe's younger generation has only experienced austerity.
If the U.K. wants a commercial access treaty to the European market, the British must contribute to ...
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If the U.K. wants a commercial access treaty to the European market, the British must contribute to the European budget like the Norwegians and the Swiss do. If London doesn't want that, then it must be a total exit.
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We need to go faster on structural reforms in France.
We need to go faster on structural reforms in France.
If people do not believe in Europe and in the euro area, it must be dismantled.
If people do not believe in Europe and in the euro area, it must be dismantled.
I am a newcomer. I want to remain a newcomer. That is my DNA.
I am a newcomer. I want to remain a newcomer. That is my DNA.
We have to provide more visibility, more certainty to the investors and reduce the cost of failure.
We have to provide more visibility, more certainty to the investors and reduce the cost of failure.
