Philippe, Glucksmann, Retailleau : les temps forts du Sommet sur la compétitivité économique de POLITICO

Three presidential candidates – Edouard Philippe, Raphaël Glucksmann, and Bruno Retailleau – participated in a POLITICO summit on economic competitiveness on Tuesday. The event came a few weeks after the Playbook Paris Live, where Gabriel Attal, Marine Le Pen, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon were invited.

The main topic of discussion was the impending ban on the sale of thermal engine cars in the European Union by 2035, for which a compromise between France and Germany is being sought. Edouard Philippe, representing Horizons, believes this decision is an error. "A strategy must be based on a precise analysis of the means we can implement," he stated.

Instead, Philippe advocated for high import tariffs on Chinese vehicles, a "question of reciprocity," he argued. This viewpoint was rejected by Glucksmann, who stressed the importance of electric vehicle development, claiming Europe has "enormous naivety vis-à-vis China."

Bruno Retailleau, representing the European People's Party, also opposed the 2035 ban, recalling that his party had previously opposed the European Parliament's adoption of the rule. He favorably suggested the implementation of "neutral technological" principles through "strict yet progressive" regulations for manufacturers. On trade relations with China, Retailleau shared Philippe's stance, favoring "real customs duties" on Chinese imports.

The energy debate also revealed contrasting views. Philippe insisted on the importance of nuclear energy, emphasizing the need for other power sources to take its place if French nuclear plants were to shut down. Retailleau, on the other hand, called for cutting subsidies for renewable energy and abandoning the multi-year energy framework (PPE3).

Glucksmann called for European defense, security, and AI threats to "break out of the intergovernmental" and for the EU to assume its power against China and the U.S., advocating for a European funding mechanism.