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Jouanno Chantal, a minister who does not waffle!

I am happy to publish on my blog interview with the World by Chantal Jouanno, my colleague at the Regional Council, on the Grenelle Environment.

A brave minister, who claims his convictions, and that honors Paris.

Generation Sarkozy is in shape.

Jouanno Chantal: "It is now a Round Table 3"
WORLD 20.05.10

Jouanno Chantal, 41, is Secretary of State for Ecology since January 2009, after have been the adviser of Nicolas Sarkozy for sustainable development. Popular with environmentalists, she defended, with the Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo law Grenelle 2 to the National Assembly, taking a stand against his own side on some issues.

Law Grenelle 2 was adopted by the National Assembly on May 11 The opposition accuses you of "setbacks" ...

Do not fall into caricature. The law does not step back from what exists, it is a huge step forward. The problem of ecology is that we do not judge that on symbols: GMOs, pesticides, carbon tax ... With Jean-Louis Borloo, we ask to be judged on results, the number of wind implanted, the number of pesticides off the market ... Now the ball is in our court. To us to implement the Grenelle on the ground. The French drama is we believe that when we passed a law, the die is cast. Instead, it all starts now. We need elected officials understand the Grenelle. That's why I'll take my turn to France to "sell" the Grenelle on the ground.

Are you happy or disappointed, the text adopted?

can not say that it is 100% of what we wanted. This is normal, that's democracy. But the overall balance is positive. With the provisions on the building, biodiversity, agriculture, water hazards, it has something to move forward. On some subjects, we could have gone further, it is true. I have always been reserved on the implementation of the system of classified installations for environmental protection for wind turbines because they are not risk facilities. I supported the opportunity to experiment with congestion charging. On environmental labeling, we could go straight to the duty on certain products.

The economic and political context is it not become adverse environmental ambitions?

It will be less simple than before the Copenhagen conference on climate. At that time everything was "green", there was no dissenting voice. It could not last. I am not in favor absolute consensus on the ecology, because only the modes are consensual. Fortunately there was not a single thought on the subject or we enter into a technocratic dictatorship. Ecology must remain a political issue, which questions our society organization.

In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy spoke of the New Deal, ecology should be placed at the heart of all public policies. This ambition has been abandoned?

Certainly not by the president, who took enormous risks on the subject. In the Grenelle, there were technical measures, and principles. The Law Grenelle 2 is the translation of various technical commitments. However, the principles, there is still to be done. The logic would go in a Round Table 3.

What would be its content?

The first topic concerns the follow-up report on Stiglitz measure of economic performance and social progress. I wish we were the first country to use these indicators. The issue is the review of all of our growth model, which does not take into account the finiteness of resources. It should also assess the impact of our development model in the long run, and inequality.

Finally, the generalization of the decision to five [state, local governments, employers, unions, NGOs] has not yet occurred. The long-term challenges involve a new model of democracy and public participation. We reformed the economic and social council, and set up a monitoring committee of the Round Table, but it is not enough.

Do not you fear that budget decisions are not detrimental action "green"?

The government pledged to review the tax loopholes. Everyone is concerned. To us to justify, for each existing device, it is an investment which will create jobs, or reduce the energy bill, not an expense.

The rumor about your relationship with the president, tough regional elections in Ile-de-France, remonstrate when you say "desperate" after the abandonment of the carbon tax ... What is your assessment of this difficult period?
I had a learning curve, together with a beautiful shot from March [laughs]. What I remember is that politics is one of the few places where it has the autonomy to do things. Even if we want 100 and we get that 50 is still 50. As for attacks, it needs to be done, but rather when it is not attacked need to worry.

Have you suffered from your outspokenness?
It is inherent in my own way of doing politics. It is important not to remain silent. Expected of a policy is satisfied. Afterwards, it's normal to be back, everyone is in his role.

Young women ministers have been reminded to order the government solidarity. Is there a generational conflict, a problem of machismo?

On the carbon tax, it was not a question of collective responsibility. I have insulted anyone. I learned of the decision in the press, so I had to take a tour of France to defend the tax. It was a funny surprise! On machismo, I do not believe some politicians when they ask me, now it's different.

What do you think of a possible candidacy of Jean-Louis Borloo in the 2012 presidential election, to unite the voices of the center and appeal to environmentalists?

garner votes in the center, why not? But to say that we will delegate to the first round the issue of ecology to a large part of presidential rally, I'm against it. That's what I criticized the Socialist Party, which leaves many years thinking about the topic to the Greens in Europe and now ecology. Ecology is not a separate subject, but a cross cutting issue which must permeate all other policies.

Interview by Gaëlle Dupont and Pierre-Jaxel Truer
Article published in the World 20.05.10