Texte intégral
Q - How are you ?
R - I'm fine thank you. Je vais peut-être commencer en français. Donc, nous avons obtenu hier un accord sur le budget de la zone euro. C'est une très bonne nouvelle. Le budget de la zone euro a été longtemps une idée portée par la France, portée par le président de la République. Désormais, nous savons que ça sera une réalité et qu'il y aura un budget de la zone euro qui sera prêt en 2020 et qui pourra être opérationnel en 2021. Donc, nous avons trouvé un accord hier sur le cadre général, sur les modalités de financement, sur la manière dont le budget pourra répondre en cas de crise économique. Donc, nous avons fait une avancée importante hier. Il reste bien entendu encore des sujets à régler je pense en particulier à l'accord intergouvernemental mais l'accord qui a été obtenu hier c'est un pas majeur dans la bonne direction. Nous savons désormais que cette idée du budget de la zone euro sera demain, en 2020, une réalité.
Maybe I will switch to English, just to say that the agreement that we found yesterday is a major step in the right direction. The euro zone budget used to be an idea, which was supported by France and by the French President. Now, we know that it will be a reality by 2020 and it should enter into force in 2021 with the MFF. We have defined a solid framework for the euro zone budget. We have also defined the governance of the euro zone budget. And we have envisaged all the solutions if we would have to face an economic difficulty, so that the euro the euro zone budget might be a response to that economic difficulty. So once again, I'm really happy with this major step that we have reached yesterday. I think that we are now not far from having concretely the euro zone budget that we were expecting.
Q - Mister Le Maire, the criticism here is that it's too little too late. That's it's been watered down so maybe times that it has almost lost meaning. Do you think that it's overly pessimistic and that it ultimately opens the door to make it bigger in the future ?
R - I really think that it's over pessimistic and it's time not to be optimistic but full of willingness. We have a solid framework for the euro zone budget and that's a major step in the right direction. I just want to recall to all those who are full skepticism or pessimism that two years ago, when I was explaining the necessity of a euro zone budget, there was no support for that idea and it was only an idea. Two years later, this is a reality. We know from now on, from yesterday, that there will be a euro zone budget by 2020 that will enter into force in 2021. Two years to make a reality with the euro zone budget. I think that's a success for all the euro zone members. Of course, there remain a lot of things that must be fixed and we still have to think of the best way of putting the IGA into force. We will have to extend the level of the global amount of the euro zone budget. We are aware of that. But once again, we should be proud of the result that we got yesterday.
Q - Do you think it's accurate reports that came out that the tone inside the room was still very untrustworthy, that there was huge debate that perhaps wasn't exactly positive but a little bit more acrimonious ?
R - You know, when you are building something totally new, which is a game changer, because having a euro zone budget is a game changer with the view of reinforcing the euro zone, making the euro zone stronger to face an economic or financial crisis, and reinforcing also our common currency, of course there are some skepticism, there are some debates, there are some discussions. We had yesterday difficult discussions among the Member States because we are creating something totally new, which is a game changer for the euro zone. When you are willing to really change the things, improving the euro zone, putting a game changer on the table, you have to wait for difficult discussions. So, we had yesterday difficult discussions. That's fair. But at the end, we were able to find a compromise and that's the most important point for me. We are in difficult times. We are facing a slowdown everywhere in the world. We have a lack of growth within the euro zone. We have been able to give a response to that by creating a solid framework for the euro zone budget.
Q - And speaking about the next compromise for you maybe may be the OECD level one for the digital tax. How is that looking ? Did that come about any other discussion ? Are you happy it's gaining a momentum ?
R - On that issue too which is a very complicated one, we all know that there is a need for a new international taxation system, because there is a loophole in the international taxation system, which is the fact that the biggest international companies can make huge profits without paying the due taxes because there is a loophole in the international taxation system. We are having able at the OECD level to have a formal proposal for both the digital taxation and the minimum taxation. On such a sensitive issue, where what is at stake are billions of euros of taxation. I think that it is an important step forward to have this proposal from the OECD. Now on the basis of this proposal it is time to decide. I really hope that all the members of the OECD will be able to decide by the beginning of 2020 on both the international digital taxation and the minimum taxation. We will have important meetings at the end of this month in Washington in the margin of the IMF meetings. We will have G20 meetings, G7 meetings and I hope that we will be able to seize the opportunity of these important meetings to make step forwards to a compromise and decisions on the digital taxation.
Q - Just very quickly, on the trade war this week, it fair to say there was a real escalation again between the US and China. Cecilia Malmström said that there was a clear case on Boeing that the Americans wanted to XXX not settle. What are you thinking about this ? Can you use Airbus to counteract the measures that may come about ?
R - I am still advocating for a settlement in the Boeing case. We already have a trade war between China and the United States. And we are all aware of the dramatic consequences of this trade war between China and the United States on the level of growth. We should all be aware that a trade war between China and the US means 0.5 world growth less than expected. Do we really want to add a trade war between the United States and Europe to the Chinese and American trade war ? That's my question. I think that it would be wiser to pave the way for a settlement between the United States and Europe. If the United States do not want to pave the way for this settlement, of course we won't have any other choice. But to also take measures at the European level. But there is still some time to try to find a compromise on the settlement and I hope that wisdom will be at the table of negotiations.
Q - Very quickly speaking of time, some in the administration believe that the Europeans are actually not serious about the negotiation because you're hoping that Trump is not going to be reelected. Do you want to gain time ? Is that what you operate on, perhaps that Trump won't be there so why negotiate now ?
R - You know I am not mixing the trade negotiations and the political situation in the United States. We are in charge of the European interests. I am of the French economic and financial interests. I know that this is not in the interest of Europe to enter into a trade war with the United States. I strongly believe to that this is not in the interest of the United States to add a trade war between the US and Europe to the current trade war between the United States and China. So I am still in favor of a settlement but as all the European members, and as the European commission, the American administration must be aware that if there is not a settlement, Europe will not have any other choice, but to retaliate and to put sanctions. Thank you.
Source https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr, le 15 octobre 2019