Emmanuel Macron’s environment minister has dramatically quit the French government live on air, questioning whether the administration is truly committed to green issues.

Nicolas Hulot, a high-profile former television personality, told France Inter radio on Tuesday morning that he no longer wanted to give the impression “that we’re up to standard on these issues and so I am deciding to quit the government”.

In an emotional address, the long-time environmentalist said his tenure had been an “accumulation of disappointments”. He also claimed he felt “all alone” in pushing for environmental priorities in government.

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“It’s a decision of honesty and responsibility,” he added, stating that it was “the most difficult decision of my life”.

Mr Macron’s recruitment of Mr Hulot was seen as a coup for his environmental credentials because the sought-after activist had previously refused to be a minister for presidential predecessors Jacques Chirac, Nicholas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

The resignation is a blow for the French president, who has presented himself as the defender of the Paris climate agreement on the world stage.

The outgoing minister said that he had not told his cabinet colleagues about his resignation beforehand as they would only have tried to dissuade him from quitting. The radio presenter on the programme the minister was appearing on also appeared not to know about the resignation, asking him: “Are you serious?”

One thing I don’t do well is lying – especially to myself Nicholas Hulot earlier this year

Mr Hulot said despite the policy problems both Mr Macron and the prime minister Edouard Philippe were “always affectionate and loyal to me” during his tenure.

Responding to the resignation, a spokesperson for the French government said: “It’s his way of doing things. I think the most basic courtesy would have been to warn the president of the Republic and the prime minister.”

Mr Hulot had previously warned that the government’s ambitious environmental agenda had been a flop. In May of this year he warned he would consider his position over the summer, telling the French media: “One thing I don’t do well is lying – especially to myself. By this summer I will have enough elements to be able to evaluate if I can actually contribute to this societal transformation.”

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This is to coincide with his state of the nation address in Manila. AFP/Getty

Setbacks the minister has faced have included ditching an objective to reduce dependency on nuclear power, while he has been successful in getting the government to scrap plans for a polluting new airport.

Mr Macron’s already low approval rating dropped to a new record low over the weekend. An Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published this Sunday showed 34 per cent of the public had a favourable opinion of the president, down five from last month. His dissatisfaction rating meanwhile rose five points in a month to 66 per cent.</s>President Emmanuel Macron suffered a major political blow today as his popular environment minister resigned live on radio — without informing the French leader beforehand. Nicolas Hulot, one of the most respected members of the cabinet among the French public, took even his interviewers by surprise on the France Inter radio station when announcing his move. “I am taking the decision to leave the government,” Hulot said, adding that he felt “all alone” on environmental issues within the government. The 62-year-old TV celebrity, who made his name as an environmental campaigner, was lured into government last year by Macron, but has repeatedly clashed with his cabinet colleagues over policy. “We’re taking little steps, and France is doing a lot more than other countries, but are little steps enough?… the answer is no,” he added.

Hulot, whose future in the government has been a subject of speculation for months, said he had not informed Macron or Prime Minister Edouard Philippe of his plans to resign. “It’s an honest and responsible decision,” he added. His departure adds to mounting problems for 40-year-old centrist Macron, who swept to power in May last year promising to solve decades of low growth and high unemployment in France and reform the European Union.

Due to slowing economic growth, his government is having difficulties drawing up the 2019 budget which saw Prime Minister Philippe announce at the weekend that he was dropping targets for reducing the deficit. At the diplomatic level, Macron is struggling to convince his European partners of the need for a more integrated EU as nationalist governments make gains across the continent.

Over the summer, the former banker also suffered the first major political scandal of his 15-month term when his former bodyguard and senior security aide was filmed manhandling protesters while appearing to impersonate a policeman. Hulot’s announcement is likely to be received bitterly by Macron, who was starting a trip to Denmark to sell his EU agenda on Tuesday.

“The most basic of courtesies would have been to warn the president of the republic and the prime minister,” government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told the BFM news channel. Hulot was formerly the star presenter of the hit Ushuaia environmental TV programme in France and had repeatedly turned down offers to enter government by previous French presidents. He was widely reported to be close to quitting in February after media reports that the granddaughter of former French president Francois Mitterrand had accused him of rape in the 1990s.

Hulot furiously denied the claims and said they had been extremely hurtful for him and his family. He had also faced criticism from fellow green campaigners, who accused him of failing to influence the Macron government sufficiently after he lost battles with his colleagues in the agriculture and economy ministries.

Hulot was left disappointed when the government backtracked on a target to reduce the share of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix to 50 percent by 2025, while EU negotiations on pesticides were another source of frustration. On Monday, the cost of a hunting licence was cut in half to 200 euros — another bitter pill for the vegetarian. “Do you do an environmental revolution in one year? The response is no,” government spokesman Griveaux added. “I prefer little steps to not moving.”

Macron’s record on the environment is mixed. He has made the battle against global warming one of his foreign policy priorities, organising a major conference in Paris last year in an effort to compensate for Trump’s scepticism about climate change. He also led efforts at the EU level to reduce the use of the controversial weedkiller chemical glyphosate and he scrapped a proposed airport in western France, partly on environmental grounds. Macron’s political opponents immediately seized on the resignation. “I don’t necessarily share the same opinions as Nicolas Hulot, but I can understand that he feels betrayed today, like a lot of French people, by the strong promises that were made and the sense that in the end they have not been kept,” said Laurent Wauquiez, the head of the hard-right Republicans party.</s>PARIS — France’s high-profile environment minister was fed up with what he considered insufficient progress by his government on issues like climate change and clean energy. So on Tuesday, he quit his post in dramatic fashion, dealing a blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s green credentials.

The minister, Nicolas Hulot, an environmental activist and former television star who regularly ranked as one of Mr. Macron’s most popular ministers, made the surprise announcement during a live interview on France Inter radio in which he said he no longer wanted to “lie to myself.”

“I don’t want to create the illusion that my presence in the government means that we are up to the task on these issues, and so I have decided to leave the government today,” Mr. Hulot told the stunned radio hosts, one of whom asked him whether he was being serious.

The abruptness of the decision came as a surprise: Mr. Hulot told France Inter that he had not warned Mr. Macron, the prime minister or even his own staff about the announcement.</s>France's environment minister and third most senior member of the government announced his resignation live on French radio on Tuesday, without informing the president or prime minister.

In an interview to public radio broadcaster, France Inter, Nicolas Hulot announced that he was stepping down, adding that he had not informed president Emmanuel Macron or his prime minister, Edouard Philippe, of his decision.</s>The French Minister for the Environment, Nicolas Hulot, resigned live on radio yesterday evening (Monday, August 27), much to the surprise of those listening.

Speaking to French radio station France Inter, the Minister for Environment said that he was making the “most difficult decision of his life”, announcing that he was leaving Government.

The former minister caught everyone by surprise, telling France Inter that he had not informed either the French President, Emmanuel Macron, or the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, of his decision when making his announcement.

He said: “If I had warned Edouard Philippe and Emmanuel Macron of my resignation, they would perhaps have dissuaded me.”

Hulot apologised for “doing the wrong thing” in not informing them, and said that he does not want to collapse the Government, which he remains close to.

Hulot was apparently frustrated with the “small steps” being made on climate change, adding that he had been told to be patient; “but we have been patient for 30 years”.



 A decision by Government to relax hunting legislation in a “victory for lobbyists” is understood to have been the last straw for the minister.

Hulot, an ecologist and former TV presenter, is understood to have no further political ambitions at present, and hopes his resignation will be the “electroshock” to mobilise a change of paradigm for climate change.</s>President Emmanuel Macron suffered a major political blow Tuesday as his popular environment minister resigned live on radio - without informing the French leader beforehand.

Nicolas Hulot, one of the most respected members of the cabinet among the French public, took even his interviewers by surprise on the France Inter radio station when announcing his move.

"I am taking the decision to leave the government," Hulot said, adding that he felt "all alone" on environmental issues within the government.

The 62-year-old TV celebrity, who made his name as an environmental campaigner, was lured into government last year by Macron, but has repeatedly clashed with his cabinet colleagues over policy.

"We're taking little steps, and France is doing a lot more than other countries, but are little steps enough?... the answer is no," he added.

Hulot, whose future in the government has been a subject of speculation for months, said he had not informed Macron or Prime Minister Edouard Philippe of his plans to resign.

"It's an honest and responsible decision," he added.

His departure adds to mounting problems for 40-year-old centrist Macron, who swept to power in May last year promising to solve decades of low growth and high unemployment in France and reform the European Union.</s>Emmanuel Macron suffered a major blow to his authority and green credentials yesterday as his popular environment minister resigned live on radio — without informing the French president beforehand.

Nicolas Hulot, a TV celebrity and one of the most respected members of the cabinet among the public, announced the news on France Inter radio, taking both his interviewers and government colleagues by surprise.

"I am taking the decision to leave the government," Hulot said, explaining he felt "all alone" on environmental issues in a government committed to the same economic model "that is the cause of all the problems".

"I hope my departure will trigger deep soul-searching by our society on the realities of our world," Hulot added.

A government spokesman ripped into Hulot for not taking "the most basic of courtesies" to inform Macron or the prime minister before quitting — an unprecedented move for a French minister, analysts said.

But Macron responded that Hulot was "a free man" and that he respected his decision.

"I hope I will be able to count on his commitment in another form," Macron said on a trip to Copenhagen.

Hulot, 63, was lured into government last year by Macron but has repeatedly clashed with his cabinet colleagues over policy.

"We're taking little steps, and France is doing a lot more than other countries, but are little steps enough? ... the answer is no," he added, after months of speculation over his role in government.

His departure adds to mounting problems for Macron, who swept to power in May last year promising to end decades of high unemployment and reform the European Union.

Due to slowing economic growth, his government is having difficulties drawing up the 2019 budget which saw Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announce at the weekend that he was dropping targets for reducing the deficit.

Hulot’s exit also risks undercutting Macron’s credentials as a leading campaigner internationally against climate change which has seen him adopt the catchphrase “Make our planet great again”.

Macron also suffered a major political scandal this summer when a senior security aide was filmed manhandling protesters, and his poll ratings have slumped to their lowest-ever levels.</s>France’s high-profile environment minister, former TV personality Nicolas Hulot, has unexpectedly announced his resignation live on national radio, dealing a blow to the lofty green ambitions of President Emmanuel Macron.

A clearly emotional Mr Hulot made his frustrations clear over what he said was France’s slow pace of progress on green issues.

The long-standing environmental advocate told France Inter radio that he no longer wants to give the impression “that we’re up to standard on these issues, and so I am deciding to quit the government”.

Recruiting Mr Hulot to his government had been a coup for Mr Macron.

Losing him, just as the government is resuming work after France’s August holidays, will likely force a government reshuffle and provoke questions about whether Mr Macron is as committed to environmental issues as he claims.</s>French Environment Minister Quits In Live Interview: 'World Is Not Doing Enough'

Shortly after the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the Paris accord, a global pact to combat climate change, French President Emmanuel Macron assumed the mantle of environmental crusader with a pointed rebuke of the Trump administration: "Make our planet great again," he declared just hours later.

Now, more than a year later, Macron's environment minister has delivered his own stinging rebuke — only this time, it's Macron who came in for the condemnation. Nicolas Hulot stunned the hosts of his live radio interview Tuesday by declaring his resignation in protest of the French president's environmental policy.

"I do not want to lie to myself anymore," Hulot said on France Inter. "I don't want to give the illusion that my presence in government means we're answering these issues properly — and so I have decided to leave the government."

The move deals a stunning blow to Macron's government, which already has been buffeted by bad polling numbers and scandal in recent months — and which was unaware of the popular minister's decision until he uttered it live on air. In fact, according to Hulot, not even his wife knew about it beforehand.

But the former TV presenter and prominent green party politician said his choice — the "most difficult decision of my life" — had been steeped in a series of disappointments. Those include the government's recent moves toward relaxing hunting regulations, as well as its apparent reluctance to fulfill a pledge to slash the share of nuclear power in France's electricity supply to 50 percent by 2025.

"Have we started to reduce the use of pesticides? The answer is no," Hulot listed Tuesday. "Have we started to stop the erosion of biodiversity? No. Have we started to stop the artificialization of the land? The answer is no."

Later in the day, during a state visit to Denmark, Macron called his minister's surprising move a "personal decision."

"If I chose Nicolas Hulot 15 months ago, it's because he is a free man. I respect his freedom," Macron said. But he also defended his government's environmental record, citing his vow to close the country's coal plants and halt hydrocarbon production.

The country has also remained one of the most visible defenders of the accord that bears the name of its capital. At least 180 parties have ratified the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which sets targets for reducing green house gas emissions and seeks to limit the rise in global temperatures.

"I think that in 15 months, this government has done more than any other on the subject in the same period. More than any other," Macron asserted.

"I don't understand why he is stepping down when we had many successes in the first year that are to his credit," government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux told the French broadcaster BFM TV, according to Reuters. "He didn't win all his battles but that's the way it goes for ministers."

Nevertheless, the centrist French president's political rivals wasted little time seizing on Hulot's surprise resignation as a "vote of censure against Macron." That's the conclusion of left-wing lawmaker Jean-Luc Melenchon, who described the move as a sign the political movement that swept Macron into power last year is "beginning its decomposition."

Hulot, for his part, tempered his own criticism a little. He acknowledged in his interview that "France is doing more than a lot of other countries," as translated by The Associated Press. But, he added, that's not to say "that it is doing enough."

"It is not doing enough," Hulot said. "Europe is not doing enough. The world is not doing enough."</s>Paris: French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot resigned on Tuesday in frustration over sluggish progress on climate goals and nuclear energy policy, dealing a major blow to President Emmanuel Macron's already tarnished green credentials.

Hulot, a former TV presenter and green activist who consistently scored high in opinion polls, quit during a live radio interview following what he called an "accumulation of disappointments".

"I don't want to lie to myself any more, or create the illusion that we're facing up to these challenges," Hulot said on France Inter. "I have therefore decided to leave the government."

Hulot was among Macron's first ministerial appointments following his May 2017 election victory. His inclusion helped to sustain a green image France had earned 18 months earlier by brokering the Paris Agreement to combat global greenhouse emissions.

But the centrist President has watered down a series of campaign pledges on the environment, including a commitment to cut the share of nuclear power in French electricity to 50 per cent by 2025 and boost renewable energy.
Nicolas Hulot resigns as Minister of Ecology during a live interview on France Inter radio, citing French President Emmanuel Macron's record on environmental issues and his own frustration over feeling alone in prioritizing reform.