4 ms·

Typical politician promise for an event to happen long after their term is over...

andmarios 9y ago
I would say this is atypical. Most politicians care about short-term decisions as this is the easiest way to win the next election, leading to huge problems —laws and processes ever-changing. This is the way politicians should operate, legislate for the future.
nherment 9y ago
Our ecology minister Nicolas Hulot is a known French environmental activist. I wouldn't qualify him as the typical politician and I think most would agree. He has been trying to influence our politics for some time now, from advising politicians, threatening to run for president unless environmental strategies get adopted, to refusing to become Ecology Minister without proper power (ecology minister has mostly been a powerless position with no real drive). Him accepting to join the current government was a sign that he would be able to influence the country's environmental strategy. While it is probably too early to see if he will have the right impact, it is good to see him drive positive change. While I would understand criticizing Nicolas Hulot's methods or his work at the ministry, his motivations are clearly the betterment of France's approach to ecology. Blaming his policies as "Typical politician promise for an event to happen long after their term is over..." shows a clear misunderstanding of our minister and French politics.
- agumonkey 9y ago
  It's still a blurry futuristic target. Who knows what happens between now and 2040. Yet it's still a strong signal.
- JPLeRouzic 9y ago
  Nicolas Hulot is a known French environmental activist, AND a politician and a media producer. He survived in politics much longer than most "écologistes" politicians. I think French government decided to use more regulation and less funding (see les echos [0]). But as most regulations come from EU, its regulation power is quite limited as well, hence curious statements like this one by N. Hulot. [0] https://www.lesechos.fr/economie-france/budget-fiscalite/030430628227-logement-sante-formation-les-pistes-pour-baisser-la-depense-publique-2100297.php https://www.lesechos.fr/economie-france/budget-fiscalite/030...
  - JPLeRouzic 9y ago
    In the CAE administration note [0] which is mentionned in the article cited above there is the following text "Environmental policies are an emblematic case. In theory, they should not weigh on the budget since it is a matter of correcting an externality problem: the solution for this is to introduce an incentive price signal, through eco-taxation or quota" [0] http://www.cae-eco.fr/IMG/pdf/cae-note043.pdf http://www.cae-eco.fr/IMG/pdf/cae-note043.pdf
tonyedgecombe 9y ago
They also like to take credit for an event that was probably going to happen anyway.
- ogrisel 9y ago
  Sure but that will surely help make it happen significantly faster. Time is of the essence when it comes to decarbonification of the economy and climate change.
ogrisel 9y ago
Laws often last much longer than elected politicians that passed the law. Car manufacturers need stable and long term guidance to get investors and banks to follow them.
blowski 9y ago
What's your suggestion then? Have politicians stay in power forever, or have politicians only pass short term laws?
- mindcrime 9y ago
  What's your suggestion then? Mine is "get rid of the politicians altogether".
tangue 9y ago
I wouldn't qualify him as a typical politician : https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/18/environmentalist-and-solar-advocate-nicolas-hulot-is-frances-new-energy-minister/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/18/environmentalist-and-... and the reasoning is worrying : if representatives won't project behind their term we won't do much as a society. Even a a simple highway takes more than a mandate to build (and let's not start about issues like global warming ...)
untog 9y ago
This is a good thing. Most politicians refuse to do anything that will have an effect beyond their term because it won't help them get re-elected. It's why infrastructure in the US is such a heap of crap.

I would say this is atypical. Most politicians care about short-term decisions as this is the easiest way to win the next election, leading to huge problems —laws and processes ever-changing. This is the way politicians should operate, legislate for the future.

nherment 9y ago

Our ecology minister Nicolas Hulot is a known French environmental activist. I wouldn't qualify him as the typical politician and I think most would agree. He has been trying to influence our politics for some time now, from advising politicians, threatening to run for president unless environmental strategies get adopted, to refusing to become Ecology Minister without proper power (ecology minister has mostly been a powerless position with no real drive). Him accepting to join the current government was a sign that he would be able to influence the country's environmental strategy. While it is probably too early to see if he will have the right impact, it is good to see him drive positive change. While I would understand criticizing Nicolas Hulot's methods or his work at the ministry, his motivations are clearly the betterment of France's approach to ecology. Blaming his policies as "Typical politician promise for an event to happen long after their term is over..." shows a clear misunderstanding of our minister and French politics.

agumonkey 9y ago
It's still a blurry futuristic target. Who knows what happens between now and 2040. Yet it's still a strong signal.
JPLeRouzic 9y ago
Nicolas Hulot is a known French environmental activist, AND a politician and a media producer. He survived in politics much longer than most "écologistes" politicians. I think French government decided to use more regulation and less funding (see les echos [0]). But as most regulations come from EU, its regulation power is quite limited as well, hence curious statements like this one by N. Hulot. [0] https://www.lesechos.fr/economie-france/budget-fiscalite/030430628227-logement-sante-formation-les-pistes-pour-baisser-la-depense-publique-2100297.php https://www.lesechos.fr/economie-france/budget-fiscalite/030...
- JPLeRouzic 9y ago
  In the CAE administration note [0] which is mentionned in the article cited above there is the following text "Environmental policies are an emblematic case. In theory, they should not weigh on the budget since it is a matter of correcting an externality problem: the solution for this is to introduce an incentive price signal, through eco-taxation or quota" [0] http://www.cae-eco.fr/IMG/pdf/cae-note043.pdf http://www.cae-eco.fr/IMG/pdf/cae-note043.pdf

tonyedgecombe 9y ago

They also like to take credit for an event that was probably going to happen anyway.

ogrisel 9y ago
Sure but that will surely help make it happen significantly faster. Time is of the essence when it comes to decarbonification of the economy and climate change.

ogrisel 9y ago

Laws often last much longer than elected politicians that passed the law. Car manufacturers need stable and long term guidance to get investors and banks to follow them.

blowski 9y ago

What's your suggestion then? Have politicians stay in power forever, or have politicians only pass short term laws?

mindcrime 9y ago
What's your suggestion then? Mine is "get rid of the politicians altogether".

tangue 9y ago

I wouldn't qualify him as a typical politician : https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/18/environmentalist-and-solar-advocate-nicolas-hulot-is-frances-new-energy-minister/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/18/environmentalist-and-... and the reasoning is worrying : if representatives won't project behind their term we won't do much as a society. Even a a simple highway takes more than a mandate to build (and let's not start about issues like global warming ...)

untog 9y ago

This is a good thing. Most politicians refuse to do anything that will have an effect beyond their term because it won't help them get re-elected. It's why infrastructure in the US is such a heap of crap.