Emmanuel Macron repeats it over and over again: among his main objectives is the reindustrialization of France. It is on this theme that the Head of State focused his trip to Dunkirk, which has lost 6,000 industrial jobs in 20 years. "The mother of battles begins now," said the head of state in the Dunkirk aluminum plant, while assuming his controversial call for a "pause" in new European environmental standards.

In terms of announcements, the Taiwanese group ProLogium will establish in the northern city, erected by the Elysee as a "symbol" of an industrial awakening of the France, a "huge electric battery factory" for an investment of 5.2 billion and the expected creation of 3,000 direct jobs, said the president. The company had already unveiled its project, but Emmanuel Macron reserved another announcement: the Chinese XTC and the French Orano will invest 1.5 billion euros and create 1,700 jobs in a site related to lithium batteries, still in Dunkirk.

Points scored against American competition

Three other "gigafactories" projects were already announced in northern France, gradually transforming this land, long in the process of deindustrialization, into a valley of electricity in France. ProLogium CEO Vincent Yang acknowledged that his company had once considered investing across the Atlantic. "The United States has the IRA (Inflation reduction act), very good subsidies," he told a few journalists in reference to the colossal plan of public aid wanted by Joe Biden to support American industry in favor of the energy transition imposed by climate change.

But the Taiwanese finally chose France in particular because of its nuclear energy. "We need good, stable, cheap and green electricity," he said. Whey for Emmanuel Macron, who sees it as a demonstration of the merits of his "electric vehicle strategy" and nuclear. And who has built his plan to accelerate the reindustrialization of the country, presented this week, precisely to keep pace with Washington as well as in the face of Chinese competition.

Commitment to Valdunes

In the front line for Europe to respond to these voluntarist if not protectionist policies, the president had unveiled Thursday several measures supposed to support French industry while greening it: a new tax credit for the production of batteries, wind turbines or solar panels supposed to generate 20 billion euros of investments by 2030, and an overhaul of the bonus for the purchase of an electric car so that it targets, indirectly, the "Made in Europe".



As with every trip in recent times, the head of state was expected by 200 to 300 demonstrators sometimes equipped with pots and pans. Opponents of his pension reform, even as he tries to turn the page on this crisis by reinvesting the economic field. But also employees of Valdunes, the last manufacturer in France of train wheels, dropped last week by its Chinese shareholder. "The Minister of Industry will be at their side to find a buyer and help," promised the head of state in an interview with La Voix du Nord published in the evening. "It's not because we create jobs on the side that we will not fight until the last quarter of an hour for Valdunes. "

  • Society
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Dunkirk
  • North
  • Hauts-de-France
  • Nord-Pas-de-Calais
  • Industry
  • Electric car
  • Nuclear