Confidence vote: "The left must prepare for the future. Emmanuel Macron has no choice but to appoint us," assures Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Ecologists.

Unlike the Socialists, the Greens have chosen to follow in the footsteps of the Insoumis, refusing to speak with François Bayrou ahead of the September 8 confidence vote, which could result in the government's departure. On the set of "4V" on Friday, August 29, their leader, Marine Tondelier, took responsibility for this decision, wishing instead to prepare for the post-Bayrou era, as she explained to Cyril Adriaens-Allemand.

This text is a portion of the transcript of the interview above. Click on the video to watch it in full.

Cyril Adriaens-Allemand: So it's no, you won't go to Matignon to talk with François Bayrou, as La France Insoumise has also said. Why? Is this a charade for you?

Marine Tondelier: I have never refused any call to speak with the Prime Ministers, even when I absolutely disagree with them, because that is the republican exercise.

But there you say no.

Admit that going to discuss energy efficiency, a concept that is very important to the Greens, with someone who will no longer be Prime Minister a few days later, is not useful. Every day, every hour that separates us from François Bayrou's departure must, for me, be used to prepare for his next step. And on Monday, we have a number of meetings with the Greens to refine our crisis exit plan. I think that's where I'm most useful, along with Cyrielle Chatelain and Guillaume Gontard, our group presidents in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Yet the Socialist Party should go there. Even the Communist Party should do it. Does the country's interest, as they say, still require going there to weigh in, to exchange views?

I think they're afraid to admit they didn't go to see the Prime Minister, and that they'll be criticized internally for it. That's their right; I absolutely don't think they should go. The Greens have made our decision, and once again, I know what we'll be doing on Monday, and it will also be very useful for the country.

Since Monday, however, he has been repeating that there is room for negotiation. Even yesterday, in front of the Medef (French employers' association), in fact you were there just after him, he said: "We can still discuss public holidays."

He doesn't doubt anything, anyway. I'm appalled to see what they've done to our country. We have a situation where Emmanuel Macron has been President of the Republic since 2017, with a number of Prime Ministers from his camp who have succeeded one another. What's the result? From 2017 to 2023, the 500 richest people in this country have seen their wealth double. On the other hand, we've just reached 9.3 million poor people in this country. That's the highest level of poverty, 15.4%, in 30 years. And among the poor, for example, those who earn the minimum wage or less, 42%, say they skip a daily meal for financial reasons. That's what they've done to the country. I'm not the one who's been governing for eight years. Creating $1 trillion in debt in seven years, that's what they've done. The debt has gone from 2 trillion to 3 trillion. They are creating 1 trillion in debt by widening the social divide like never before, meaning that the social pact is about to explode in this country. Moreover, by having absolutely not prepared for the future in environmental terms, which, even for those who are not interested in the environment, is nonsense from an economic point of view. Because one degree of global warming is 12% less GDP. And so, yesterday, at the Medef (French employers' association), when I explained this, the business leaders understood. Well, they, in the government, they don't understand. And, you see, when you are at an impasse, everyone among your listeners knows that normally, you turn around. They don't, they continue to move forward, always in the same direction, that will not be able to resolve the situation in this country.

Do you also think, as François Bayrou says, that the "boomers", that is to say those who are now between 62 and 80 years old, should take on a greater share of the effort?

François Bayrou doesn't understand, when he says that, that he should also look in the mirror and say, 'where did I go wrong?' Excuse me for being vulgar, but I find it absolutely crazy that he is incapable of recognizing his share of responsibility. When I hear him say that France is a boat with a hole in its hull, and that the opposition says: 'Don't worry Simone, it's going to be fine'... First of all, no one is telling Simone not to worry, no one. I don't know if there is anyone in this country today who says, 'don't worry, everything is fine'. No one says that. And what's more, he forgets to say that the captain of the ship is Emmanuel Macron and that the entire crew is Macronist. So he can attack whoever he wants, everyone has understood that the share of responsibility of his political camp is enormous. The only question we're going to ask ourselves today is that Macronism is over. I don't see how Emmanuel Macron would have the nerve to appoint a Prime Minister from his camp for a third time, when they lost the election.

You are calling for the appointment of a person from the ranks of the left. How can Emmanuel Macron do this today, when a year ago he did not do so, and when today, you, the left, are more divided than you were a year ago?

That's not the point.

For what ?

Because we are responsible parties and we must be the alternative in this country. I say this to all the leaders of left-wing parties.

You are responsible, but you are more divided than last year. How can we plan for the future of a country...

Excuse me, but on June 8, the day before the dissolution, if you had told all these people that they were going to work together, they would have been a little surprised. We did it because we have always been there for our country when needed. Here, things are simple. There was obstruction from Emmanuel Macron. He spoke of this country of refractory Gauls, I think he made a good one last summer by refusing to name the force that came out on top in the elections, which would have happened in any country in Europe.

But today, you talked about Lucie Castets...

Wait, the only argument at the time was to say: what interests me is the political stability of the country, and therefore, in the situation we are in, I must appoint Prime Ministers who will last. Emmanuel Macron tried a right-wing Prime Minister, then a Modem Prime Minister, it didn't work very well. What he must do now is let us get on with it. Emmanuel Macron must appoint someone from the political force that came out on top.

And who on the left is ready to do it today?

I am viscerally anti-fascist. So, for the National Rally, we must do everything to keep him away from power for as long as possible. Macronism is at the end of its tether, it no longer works, it is collapsing, it is disintegrating, and no one can justify appointing a Macronist Prime Minister anymore. So, our responsibility is to prepare for what comes next, I say this to my comrades on the left, I say this to the President of the Republic, he has no other choice but to us.

Click on the video to watch the full interview.