Latest news with #Bayrou
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government official calls on banks to push homeowners towards new heating systems: 'The key factor is purely financial'
French Prime Minister François Bayrou recently advocated for banks to offer more financing opportunities for geothermal heat pump installations, according to Think GeoEnergy. Bayrou called the energy source a "gold mine" at the 2025 Geothermal Days conference. Besides their ability to displace polluting sources like gas, heat pumps are indeed an economic opportunity as well. Heat pumps operate much more efficiently than other climate control methods, making them money-saving mechanisms in the long run. Most heat pumps capture heat or dump it into the open air outside of a home. It's possible for them to transfer heat more efficiently when their loop runs underground since soil maintains a more stable temperature than air. These geothermal systems require digging and drilling, however, which leads to higher costs. In France, installation can cost 20,000 euros ($23,500), or twice the cost of a boiler. With additional financing support, Bayrou said he hopes that France could hit its stated goal of replacing half of residential gas boilers with heat pumps in the next 20 years. Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump? Lower energy bills Better temperature control Helping the planet I'd never buy a heat pump Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Research shows that bans on new boilers could help the cause. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously outlined aims for the country to domestically manufacture 1 million heat pumps. "The key factor is purely financial," said Bayrou, translated from French, suggesting that the public Caisse des Dépôts or the Banque Publique d'Investissement could amortize installation costs while still keeping monthly costs competitive with boilers. "If a family is offered, for the same monthly payment but only spread out over a longer period, a heat pump rather than a gas boiler, I am sure that they will make this choice because they will save, in energy costs, the amount of this monthly payment," said Bayrou. Heat pumps are a smart home upgrade no matter where you live. In the U.S., some federal incentives are still available to help take the sting out of installation costs, but it's best to jump on them before they disappear. Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump? Lower energy bills Better temperature control Helping the planet I'd never buy a heat pump Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Industry members were happy to hear Bayrou's support for geothermal heat pumps. "These announcements represent a decisive step. This strong signal from public authorities reinforces Arverne Group's efforts to make geothermal energy a key driver of our energy sovereignty," said CEO of Arverne Group Pierre Brossollet. "The challenge now lies in swiftly turning these intentions into action to scale up geothermal solutions across France." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
LeMonde
15 hours ago
- Business
- LeMonde
French PM risks reaching breaking point with unions
Two weeks after French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced plans to stabilize the public debt by 2029, the government assessed the extent to which these measures had provoked hostility among the unions. On July 21, three national unions refused to attend the consultation organized by Labor Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet. Those who did attend, including the more moderate CFDT and CFTC, expressed outrage upon learning the main details of the government's proposed unemployment insurance reform. There will be a further tightening of eligibility requirements for benefits, a new reduction in the duration of payments, and stricter rules for mutual contract termination agreements. This is the third round of cutbacks in five years and is intended to generate between €3 billion and €4 billion in annual savings. However, it appears to be a step too far. No serious impact study has been conducted to assess the effects of previous reforms on employment, even though the government points to 450,000 unfilled jobs. In an already bleak economic climate, the risk of increased insecurity and poverty is high. Pressed by the need to act quickly and decisively, Bayrou's government is tempted to rely on polls rather than unions to adjust the key measures of its plan before the fall. The government is well aware of how difficult it is for the unions to organize significant protests in defense of the unemployed. It also sees how much the issue of welfare abuse, promoted by the far right and the right, is gaining traction. According to an Elabe poll for broadcaster BFM-TV conducted one day after the prime minister's announcement, 82% of French people supported his decision to strengthen controls on long-term sick leave. In contrast, the proposed deletion of two public holidays is proving to be very unpopular. Long-term reforms are needed This wouldn't be the first instance of governing without input from the unions under President Emmanuel Macron. However, the greater the tension with the unions, the greater the risk of a no-confidence vote from the left this autumn. In recent months, Bayrou tried to bring the CFDT and reform-minded unions back into the fold through a series of meetings labeled as a "conclave on pension reform." However, that momentum has now been broken. The scale of the adjustments required to reduce the public deficit from 5.4% of GDP in 2025 to 2.8% in 2029 necessitates long-term reforms. The government's proposals are based on the idea of "working more to produce more." These proposals will not succeed if social partners involved in the running of businesses are not encouraged to reach a consensus, if people feel that they are always the ones paying the price and if issues of job attractiveness and pay are not addressed simultaneously. Compared with their European neighbors, companies in France are slower to integrate young people into the workforce and quicker to push out older employees. Increasing the volume of work by acting on these two factors seems to be the most viable approach, but it requires everyone to play their part, including employers. Yet, all too often, employers shift responsibility by citing fierce international competition or the high cost of labor. For this approach to succeed, the government must firmly remind employers that they are essential partners in the social contract.
LeMonde
15 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Tariffs: In France, even the prime minister criticizes the EU's 'submission' to Trump
"Submission." The word, when spoken by Prime Minister François Bayrou, resonates with particular force. In 2015, writer Michel Houellebecq used the word as the title for a novel, in which he imagined "the old politician" Bayrou becoming the prime minister of France as it fell under Islamist domination. Ten years later, Bayrou, who has, indeed, risen to the post of prime minister, used the exact word that had once shocked him to condemn the agreement concluded on Sunday, July 27, between the United States and the European Union: "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission," the prime minister wrote on the social media platform X, on Monday. "Submission." With this condemnation, Bayrou broke with his usual political line. As an MEP from 1999 to 2002 and co-founder and president of the European Democratic Party, the centrist prime minister has typically been among the EU's most ardent supporters. Now, he has suddenly accused its leading figure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, of having betrayed her mission by accepting that European products exported to the US would face 15% tariffs, all while American imports to Europe do not face similar penalties.
Daily Tribune
19 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
French PM Criticizes US-EU Trade Deal, Calls It a "Dark Day"
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has strongly criticized a recent trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, describing it as a "dark day" and a sign of "submission." In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Bayrou expressed disappointment over the deal, which was reached on Sunday between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The agreement sets a baseline tariff of 15 percent on EU exports to the United States. "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resorts to submission," Bayrou wrote, reflecting deep concern over what he sees as an unequal compromise that may hurt European producers. The deal has sparked debate in Europe, with critics saying the agreement could weaken the EU's economic standing and benefit the US disproportionately.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
French PM calls US trade deal ‘dark day for Europe'
Agencies French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called a framework trade deal between the U.S. and European Union a 'dark day' for Europe, saying the bloc had caved in to U.S. President Donald Trump's pressure with an unbalanced deal that slaps a headline 15% tariff on EU goods while sparing U.S. imports from any immediate European retaliation. The criticism from Bayrou followed months of French calls for EU negotiators to take a tougher stance against Trump by threatening reciprocal measures – a position that contrasted with the more conciliatory approaches of Germany and Italy. 'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission,' Bayrou wrote on X of what he called the 'von der Leyen-Trump deal.' The high-level French criticism and President Emmanuel Macron's silence since the deal was signed between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stood in stark contrast to the more benign reactions from Berlin and Rome. French government ministers acknowledged the agreement had some benefits – including exemptions for sectors such as spirits and aerospace – but said it remained fundamentally unbalanced. 'This state of affairs is not satisfactory and cannot be sustained,' French European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said on X, urging the EU to activate its so-called anti-coercion instrument, which would allow for non-tariff retaliation.
