Many things lie ahead before the end of the mandate of the next President of the French Republic, and it is in this context that the coming election has to be placed, and a choice has to be made.
In 2002, here in the columns of Lexpress, and under the same circumstances, I had urged to vote for Jacques Chirac. And I think that everyone will, therefore, understand that the choice I make today is-in my mind-an obvious one.
Nevertheless, I would like, as much objectivity as possible, reflect and prompt others to reflect on what our world will be like in 5 years, our country’s role in the world, and what may be expected from our next President.
Beyond media noise and invectives, several profound changes will take place in the next five years, which will be of profound concern to us.
First, the nature of work will profoundly change. New technologies will help make half of the tasks (but not jobs) of today extinct and everyone will have to learn to learn continuously and change work habits; everyone will have, will be able, to be more autonomous, more creative, be the creator of one’s own job, without waiting for job opportunities suggestion.
Next, the world will be more unstable than it has ever been in the past 50 years. Climate-related disasters will be ever more present, especially in Africa, leading to large waves of population migration towards the coasts and into Europe. The risks of war are set to continue in the Middle East, the South China Sea and Eastern Europe. Acts of terrorism will become more intensive and large-scale, using the techniques now being tested in both the Afghan and Iraqi theaters.
Europe will no longer be able to remain in the current ambiguity: it will have to face the risk of a terrible financial, economic and political crisis on its Southern flank, with Italy crying out for intervention, for amounts not matched by those needed for Greece and Europe will provide itself with the means necessary to ensure its security, without the help of the United States of America.
All over the world, and particularly in France, income disparities, even more than today, will be more obscene, intolerable than ever, and individual cases, every personal tragedy, will be another sign of an unfair, unjust society, a juxtaposition of cynicism.
Finally, for all of us there will be an increasing awareness that it is up to us to choose our own destiny and that of our children. And in particular to choose our place of residence.
In this brutal, competitive and uncertain world, the culture of empathy and altruism, of openness towards others, will be the key to individual and collective success. There will be no point in hiding behind illusory walls: our future will be increasingly interdependent.
France will have a very special role to play. A country which really is flowing with milk and honey, it will have to succeed in healing the wounds of this interminable and violent campaign; and to this end should strive to improve the fate of millions of the poorest people in France as quickly as possible and give a credible hope to all the unemployed and all those who are about to lose their jobs.
This will be the main function of the next President: to allow the French to believe with lucidly that tomorrow can be better than today, that France can finally live up to its genius, its history, its geographical position: the happiest country in the whole wide world, tolerant, open, respected. And a country where every person will be getting a fair share.