François Legault is embracing a greenwashed future of critical metal dependency and multinational corporate monopolies
Visiting Canada and Québec on his first trip outside Europe since his appointment in January, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal participated in an exchange with Québec Premier François Legault hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal (CCMM) on April 12. France’s youngest-ever prime minister emphasized the historic and cultural ties between France and Québec and stressed their singularly close relationship.
France is the second-largest importer of Québec goods after the US, with exports last year valued at $2 billion (CAD). In coming years, Québec is expected to serve the needs of the French energy transition along with the demands of the European consumer market. The France 2030 investment strategy earmarks €5.6 billion for the reduction of carbon emissions from heavy industry and is intended to help France attain carbon neutrality by 2050.
Attal and Legault’s meeting took place in the wake of the French senate vote against the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in March. While the agreement has received official support from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, it has been contentious in France amid months of farmers’ protests that have been motivated in part by unfair competition from cheaper foreign imports.
Attal and Legault’s meeting on the energy transition, critical metals and the development of the EV battery sector reflected the desire of the French and Québec governments to push forward on the free trade deal.
“Today we are in the process of rebuilding our economic models,” the President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Canada, Francis Repka, stated. “Québec can and should strengthen its position as a gateway to North America for French businesses.”
“Québec businesses can and should take advantage of France as an investment platform to access the most important market in the world, the European Union.” (more...)
A common language: Critical metals and Québec’s clientelist relationship with France
No comments:
Post a Comment