He will be 22 years old in June. He is a student in Information and Communication Sciences at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. While young anti-CPE activists like Karl Stoeckel or Bruno Juillard emerge, Romain Mouton, national advisor of the Young Populists, tries to make his voice heard in defense of the First Employment Contract. Leaflets and blogs: his means are the same, but his discourse is less transmitted by the media. This is why Nice-Première gives him the floor.
Nice-Première: You are responsible for the Young Populists of the Alpes-Maritimes and National Advisor of the Young Populists, explain to our readers how Romain Mouton entered politics so early and how your political convictions were formed?
Romain Mouton: I have always had the desire to act for others to change our lives. I started as the delegate of my classes, then delegate of my high school, and finally as a Young Regional Advisor. From there, I formed an opinion about the world around me. Since my parents were not politically engaged, it was through my research, reading, and experiences that I chose a Movement that resembles me: open, dynamic, and innovative.
NP: What exactly do these two previously mentioned roles (Responsible of the Young Populists and National Advisor) consist of?
RM: I am in charge of uniting the young students of the Alpes-Maritimes around common values. I make it a point to often go out into the field in Universities, Schools, and high schools. I regularly visit the associations in Nice to meet new people. All these young people joined the U.M.P. for different reasons. It’s up to me then to group together the skills to serve our Movement. Everyone can contribute, according to their ideas, elements to build our project and make our actions attractive.
NP: Let’s talk about the current crisis, what do you think of the CPE?
RM: The CPE has the merit of being integrated into a global project in favor of youth employment. The main issue is here: to guarantee employment for everyone and therefore, integration into society. The substance is good, but the form, the method used, has flaws.
NP: How did you find Jacques Chirac on Friday night?
RM: I want to commend the openness and listening of the President of the Republic. He responded to the wishes of the French people relayed by Nicolas Sarkozy and the majority of UMP deputies by calling for a compromise and requesting that the provision of the law dedicated to the CPE not be applied pending a new legislative text that would modify it. We want to be fully involved in drafting a new text. At the forefront of the UMP, we will be a real force for proposals. I hope that the unions will sit down at the table to discuss in a constructive spirit with a single objective: to guarantee a job for each young person.
NP: What are the positive and negative points of this contract for you?
RM: This contract is flexible and allows companies to hire more easily, thus curbing unemployment. However, the two-year probation period and the lack of motivation for dismissal need to be reworked. But let’s remain objective, it is not in the interest of a company that trains an employee to part with them without a valid reason.
NP: Can you explain the reasons for your fight against university blockages?
RM: I stand for freedom, a fundamental value in our democracy. I believe that everyone should be able to study peacefully and take their exams within normal deadlines. I firmly condemn the attitude of a politicized minority who, violently, blocks access to French Universities, a place of knowledge and learning. These young people are cutting themselves off from opportunities to succeed.
NP: Nicolas Sarkozy has disassociated himself from the Prime Minister, you are clearly more a Sarkozist than a Villepinist, do you disassociate yourself from Dominique de Villepin?
RM : The UMP has shown from the start that we support the Government. When differences are expressed, they concern the method and not the object of the reforms. This question therefore does not arise.
NP: What solutions do you recommend to get out of this crisis?
RM: For me, the diagnosis, consultation, and action are the three essential steps in conducting a project with always one master word: efficiency at the service of our country.
NP: Politicians from all sides are increasingly getting on the web. What do you think about this? And do you think it’s the future of politics?
RM: It’s obvious. The 2007 elections and thus the candidates will have to take into account the Web and digital networks. The 2007 campaign will have a new face: that of change. Blogs have a considerable impact in French society and especially among young people. Young people are constantly surfing the Internet, as much on MSN as on Blogs, they use Google and express their opinions on everything, everywhere.
NP: Let’s talk about your blog www.romainmouton.com, the subtitle is “Free and engaged, my digital and civic showcase welcomes all minds wishing to innovate…” What does it mean for you to be free and engaged?
RM: It means to freely propose while being engaged in a Movement. It is the wish of our President Nicolas Sarkozy who initiates the debates that the French expect.
NP: What are your ambitions in politics?
RM : My ambition is to bring together as many young people from our department as possible to actively prepare for the 2007 deadlines around Christian ESTROSI to bring Nicolas SARKOZY to the Presidency of the Republic. For this, we will have to lead innovative actions, on the ground, in contact with the French. There are many things to do and actions to undertake to mobilize the youth and create a strong dynamic. I want to create this dynamic with all the young people motivated to change France.
NP: Do you have passions outside of politics?
RM: Yes, of course, you need them! Digital networks fascinate me; I created my Blog for their power and their new mode of communication. I am passionate about traveling, I like to discover new cultures, new organizational methods, and new landscapes. And, like all young people, I go out with my friends, play sports, and spend time with my family.
