Emmanuel Macron expected at a battery factory in Douai this Tuesday

He is determined to defend his record, two years before the end of his term. Emmanuel Macron is visiting a brand new battery factory in Douai this Tuesday, a symbol of the industrial revival of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin , one of the poorest areas in France.

"The president will first say thank you and well done (...) and we must continue because we still have challenges to overcome on certain economic and social indicators (...) There is still a lot of work to do," summarizes an advisor to the head of state.

The head of state is expected at the site of the Sino-Japanese battery manufacturer AESC in Douai (Nord) at 10:45 a.m., before inaugurating the France Services house in Wallers (Nord) at 12:20 p.m. He will then go to Rome for a meeting with the head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni .

Since his arrival at the Élysée in 2017, 1.3 billion euros have been committed to the development of this territory of 1.2 million inhabitants, from transport to the economy and health, the presidency indicates.

The Commitment to the Renewal of the Mining Basin, a vast 10-year plan signed by the State in 2017, provided for the renovation of 23,000 energy-intensive homes in 35 mining towns. To date, 15,500 have been renovated and 10,000 are under construction, representing a budget of €124 million, more than the €100 million initially announced.

In February 2022, Emmanuel Macron, who was still in suspense about his candidacy for a second term, came to Liévin (Nord) to announce an additional 100 million euros for the renovation of public spaces in the basin . At this stage, 63.5 million euros have been committed.

On the industrial side, 2,200 jobs were created between 2022 and 2024, breaking with decades of job losses, thanks in particular to the emergence of a battery hub for electric cars in the north of France, the Élysée Palace indicated.

But while the number of job seekers has fallen by 19% since 2017, the poverty rate remains at 21%, six points higher than the national average.

In Douai, the Head of State intends to promote an investment of 1.3 billion euros, including French and European public aid, announced during one of his Choose France summits in 2021.

"The promise has been kept, and three years later the factory has been completed, producing batteries," the Élysée Palace said. The "gigafactory," which employs 650 people, is expected to announce on Tuesday the recruitment of 350 additional people by the end of 2025, the Élysée Palace said.

The battery manufacturer was selected by Renault in 2021 to supply lithium-ion batteries for its new electric vehicle platform in Douai. The site has already begun delivering batteries to the manufacturer for its new Renault 5 and will have the potential to equip up to 200,000 electric vehicles per year.

"The Renault 5 is a great commercial success, even better than Teslas in France today," points out an advisor, referring to Elon Musk's brand. "The objective of this visit is to welcome these investments (...) and to convince people that the site has potential, to be able to go further," outlines the Élysée.