A victory for the far right in the French elections could deal a serious blow to climate policy in France, experts have warned, with consequences that could ripple through the European Union and beyond.
The second round of snap polls, whichEmmanuel Macron called after the National Rally (RN) scored big gains in European elections last month, could result in Marine Le Pen’s party securing a majority in the French parliament on Sunday, although nationwide efforts to form a “republican front” may prevent that.
It has has indicated it wants to overturn a 2035 ban on combustion engine cars, block new wind turbines, scrap low-emissions zones and rip up rules on energy efficiency.
But even as RN politicians have relegated the topic of climate action to the sidelines, observers say they will have to reconcile conflicting desires, such as attacking renewables while trying to keep industries competitive, or promoting sovereignty while cutting taxes on fossil fuels, for which France relies on imports.
France has been a vocal champion of EU-wide industrial policies to support clean technologies and Macron has pushed for Europe to build up a green manufacturing base that can hold its own against subsidised competition in the US and China.
If the far right wins, scientists fear it could hurt global climate diplomacy and usher in attacks on science similar to what happened in the US under the former president Donald Trump.
The original article contains 690 words, the summary contains 233 words. Saved 66%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A victory for the far right in the French elections could deal a serious blow to climate policy in France, experts have warned, with consequences that could ripple through the European Union and beyond.
The second round of snap polls, whichEmmanuel Macron called after the National Rally (RN) scored big gains in European elections last month, could result in Marine Le Pen’s party securing a majority in the French parliament on Sunday, although nationwide efforts to form a “republican front” may prevent that.
It has has indicated it wants to overturn a 2035 ban on combustion engine cars, block new wind turbines, scrap low-emissions zones and rip up rules on energy efficiency.
But even as RN politicians have relegated the topic of climate action to the sidelines, observers say they will have to reconcile conflicting desires, such as attacking renewables while trying to keep industries competitive, or promoting sovereignty while cutting taxes on fossil fuels, for which France relies on imports.
France has been a vocal champion of EU-wide industrial policies to support clean technologies and Macron has pushed for Europe to build up a green manufacturing base that can hold its own against subsidised competition in the US and China.
If the far right wins, scientists fear it could hurt global climate diplomacy and usher in attacks on science similar to what happened in the US under the former president Donald Trump.
The original article contains 690 words, the summary contains 233 words. Saved 66%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!