Monsieur Hulot Resigns
By Paul Homewood
French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot has resigned on live radio, in a dramatic announcement that caught even President Emmanuel Macron by surprise.
The former TV presenter and green activist said he had quit after a series of disappointments in attempts to address climate change and other environmental threats.
Mr Hulot said he felt "all alone" in government.
The decision was taken on the spot and, he added, even his wife did not know.
"I am going to take… the most difficult decision of my life," the minister said in an interview on France Inter radio.
"I am taking the decision to leave the government."
Mr Hulot said that he had not told Mr Macron or Prime Minister Edouard Philippe of his decision, because he believed they would try to talk him out of it.
Mr Hulot is a popular figure in France, and correspondents say his departure is a major blow to Mr Macron, whose ratings are currently poor.
Mr Macron responded to the news by saying he respected Mr Hulot’s decision, adding that he hoped to be able to count on his support "in another form".
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said he regretted Mr Hulot’s resignation.
"I don’t understand why he is stepping down when we had many successes in the first year that are to his credit," he told BFM TV.
The resignation comes a day after the government announced it was relaxing restrictions on hunting. Mr Hulot said that this decision had made him aware of the power of lobbyists.
He also said he was frustrated by the "small steps" being taken to deal with climate change and the fact that "this subject is always relegated to the bottom of the list of priorities".
But the minister said he wanted his resignation to be seen as a wake-up call.
"I hope that my act is not an act of resignation but one of mobilisation," he said.
The well-known presenter of a TV adventure programme, Mr Hulot has campaigned for environmental protection for decades.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45329573
One of the biggest ironies is that he was also frustrated after being forced to backtrack from his policy of closing nuclear reactors. His original plan announced in July 2017 was to shut a third of nuclear capacity by 2025, up to 17 reactors.
Four months later, he cancelled the plan, under pressure from those who understood the power sector.
Of course, if Hulot was so concerned about climate change, he would be calling for nuclear power to be expanded, not shut down.
I hope for France’s sake that he is replaced by somebody who is not a naive eco-warrior.
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Germany, France…, which other brick in the green wall is beginning to crack?
Britain? Oh now that would be wishful thinking.
Green wall cracking? To me this is just another day, another emotive publicity stunt for the Blob vert.
It’s ironic that the Green party who represent extreme environmentalism which endorses all of the crazy and uneccesary action we have witnessed over the past couple of decades have decreasing popularity with the electorate. At the last UK general election their share of the vote fell to under three per cent or around 750,000 people. 32 million or so voted for other parties.
How can the spread of unpopular and un- democratic ideology gather so much momentum when the majority of people clearly dispise It?
Money! And more control for leftist governments.
Perhaps Monsieur Hulot needs a holiday
Private jets at the ready…..
Great film. Saw it at the cinema as a child.
Good to see the actual people for whom they work saying, “Enough is enough.”
Monsieur Hulot off on vacation, I wonder if he can spare a place for the other idiot’s of green – claire perry and madame le shariza didverylittle?
If only May would do nothing as she has for most of her career but she cavorts about giving succour to Ramaphosa and Bernier.
He explained perfectly in typical newspeak fashion that he has a new job lined up.
The water was slowly coming to the boil so he hopped it.
Two cheers from my neighbours when they heard this.
Much respected as am environmental campaigner but there was a backlash against his plans to close the nukes.
The French are more switched-on than we are. “Perhaps that will put an end any more of those stupid windmills”, was one comment.
How come this fanatic was popular?
Defies belief.
This millionaire so-called eco-warrior owns 9 modes of powered transport including a boat, and has a holiday home in Corsica.
The problem with ridding the government of a known fanatic is you don’t know what will replace them. That being said, it’s good to see one frustrated with their attempts to con the populace into believing their narrow view of the world.
One Idiot down the rest of the Government to GO!
What does “relaxed laws on hunting” mean? Also it was a bit sudden wasn’t it? Not that I support him or have even heard of him, but from what I can see it seems someone wanted him out