Macron defends his work as economy minister in the face of leaks about Uber in France News

MADRID, 12 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has defended his actions in the face of the leak that indicates that he helped penetrate Uber by lobbying in the country when he was Minister of the Economy and has said that "I would do it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow".

The leaks - which ensure that the strategy was to break laws, deceive and lobby in the highest spheres - were revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and point to Macron as one of those responsible, when he held the Economy portfolio .

Specifically, the more than 124,000 documents that make up the so-called 'Uber Files' expose the ethically questionable practices of the company that Travis Kalanick ran at the time and that went through courting prime ministers, presidents, millionaires, oligarchs and media magnates Communication.

In the papers there is a conversation between then director Travis Kalanicky and the current French president, Emmanuel Macron, then economy minister, revealing that he secretly helped the company to penetrate France by facilitating access to high officials.

"I was a minister. The minister who was did his job (...) I am very proud of it. If it created jobs in France, I am proud of it. And you know what? I would do it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he said. defended Macron during a visit to the STMicroelectronics factory in Crolles, in the Isère department.

In this sense, he pointed out, in the face of criticism from the New Popular Ecologist and Social Union (NUPES), that "they have lost their compass." "When you believe in social justice, in equal opportunities, you have to fight so that young people who come from difficult backgrounds have jobs. It was never their fight," he added, as reported by the newspaper 'Le Monde'.

Thus, Macron has stressed that, when he assumed the Presidency, his Executive regulated the sector "without any complacency". "We are the first country to regulate the platforms," he explained, adding that he will continue to meet with companies and entrepreneurs "to convince them to invest in the country" and encourage employment.

"I will do everything possible to continue opening the sectors where activity is blocked to continue creating jobs. I am proud of every young person who has been able to have job opportunities thanks to that," he settled.

Alexis Corbière, deputy of the opposition party La Francia Insumisa --one of the groups that make up the NUPES coalition-- advocated this Monday for creating a parliamentary commission to clarify Macron's relationship with the Uber company.

"The idea that Macron, secretly agreeing with a company, has deregulated the rules regarding taxis is very serious. What lesson can we learn from this? Obviously, the question must be asked. You can go to the Government, you can create an investigation commission," he asserted, according to information from the BFMTV television network.

Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel accused Macron of helping the rich instead of "protecting French citizens", while politicians from the ruling Renaissance party argued that Macron had acted acceptably.

"I am responsible for the industry and I meet with industrialists (...) Today, for example, I meet with Tetrapak," said the Vice Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry, Roland Lescure, on his Twitter account. .

However, for figures such as the general secretary of the General Confederation of Labour, Philippe Martinez, "the minimum" is that the head of state "give explanations" in this regard. "He has to explain what he did and how he contributed not only to ensuring Uber's entry into France, but how this led to a reform that has facilitated this type of activity," he asserted.

The leaked documents are dated between 2013 and 2017 and include communications from Kalanick himself with his managers. One of them acknowledges that they behave like "pirates" and in another leaked document he says that they are "fucking illegal".