Benoît Hamon: “We need a clearly green majority”

Benoît Hamon formalizes his presence on Julien Bayou’s ecological list for the regional in Ile-de-France. For the former socialist candidate for the presidential election in 2017, “we can no longer watch the minutes of climate ticking and miss once again, next June, an appointment with the climate”.

Why leave your reserve today?

BENOÎT HAMON. I’m going there at the request of Julien Bayou. Ile-de-France represents 2% of the national territory and more than 10% of greenhouse effects. What will happen in June will therefore have importance at the national level on two essential questions, social and ecological. We can no longer watch the minutes of the climate ticking and miss once again, next June, a meeting with the climate. We therefore need a clearly green majority. In Ile-de-France as elsewhere, we too often limit ourselves to putting a little clear water in dirty water. But the result is still dirty water. Finally, even if I have a lot of respect for Clémentine Autain (Editor’s note: head of the La France Insoumise list) and Audrey Pulvar (Editor’s note: head of the socialist and related list), it is Julien Bayou, who has managed to bring together six ecological training courses and who best embodies the level of ecological and social requirements and urgency to which I aspire for our region.

Does Audrey Pulvar’s list seem less credible to you?

I have no doubts about Audrey Pulvar’s convictions in ecological matters. But when you have to compose your list with people who are in favor of the large Europacity shopping center or who remain productivist, tied to old recipes of the old world, or with others who are less so, the real risk is t is to choose the middle route. I needed a commitment to clarity. And I found it with Julien Bayou.

What are the ideas you are going to push?

We will have to make the aid paid by the region to companies conditional on commitments on the climate and biodiversity. I therefore believe that regional public contracts should no longer be awarded with companies which use endocrine disruptors or which do not respect the Paris agreement. In terms of transport, the real challenge is to improve the frequency, regularity, cleanliness and safety of trains. However, to consider free for all, an interesting debate opened by Audrey Pulvar, is infeasible. Especially since the debt accumulated due to the Covid crisis (more than a billion euros). Finally, if we are elected, we will launch an experiment on the universal basic income to concretely analyze all the consequences.

Are you going to work for a gathering of the leftist lists in the second round?

Of course. I am for the rally regardless of which list comes first. But for me, it must be that of Julien Bayou so that tomorrow, the Ile-de-France is really green and also for the left to continue its metamorphosis by making ecology the heart of its project.

Are you not afraid of being vampirized by Les Verts?

If we can move towards the creation of a great environmental and social training, I, as Génération.s, we would be delighted. There is nothing inescapable between us, the PS, the Greens and the Insubordinates.

Are the regions a first step towards the presidential election?

I have no intention of becoming a leading political actor again. I will therefore not be a candidate in 2022. On the other hand, I will support the one who will take universal income into account in his program, even if, of course, its modalities can be discussed. This candidate will also have to be part of a real logic of gathering. That may be more difficult than adopting universal income (smiles).