Macron says 'I'd do it again' amid Uber fallout

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he had no regrets about helping the US ride-hailing service Uber establish itself in Europe, "I'm extremely proud… it's difficult to create jobs without companies and without entrepreneurs."

Speaking with reporters at the dedication of a new semiconductor plant in southeastern Crolles, France, Macron said, "I would do it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

Macron has come under attack in the wake of revelations about the controversial US firm's lobbying as it sought to gain a foothold in Europe.

Macron implicated in 'The Uber Files'

"The Uber Files," a global investigative report released this weekend by The Guardian and Le Monde newspapers, among others, outlined the company's ruthless business tactics and Macron's role in shaping laws and helping Uber navigate French regulations during his time as economy and finance minister.

Although Uber had been active in France since 2011, it sought Macron's help between 2013 and 2016. Undeterred by violent opposition to the US company by France's taxi drivers, nor by government investigations into its business practices and tax liabilities, Macron was an enthusiastic champion.

"I have always respected this profession [of taxi drivers], but we had a system that was administratively closed. We didn't give enough licenses," Macron said Tuesday. He staunchly defended Uber as giving people in underprivileged areas the opportunity to find work, and for breaking the taxi monopoly. 

Opposition vows parliamentary investigation, allies say Macron was just 'doing his job'

In the face of criticism that he abandoned French workers in order to help a multinational giant, Macron said: "I was the minister and I was doing my job, I am extremely proud (...) to have fought as economy minister to attract foreign companies. We have created thousands of jobs.''

However, reporting in the Le Monde project said some of the meetings Macron had taken with Uber executives were not listed in his ministerial diary and took place without the knowledge of aides or other Cabinet members.

Members of France's left-wing Nupes opposition alliance have accused Macron of "being at the service of lobbies rather than at the service of our country," developing a joint strategy to aid Uber in the face of strong government resistance.

Macron's opponents have vowed to seek a parliamentary investigation into the president's role in Uber's expansion in France.

Olivia Gregoire, a Macron ally and currently France's minister of small and medium enterprises, trade, crafts and tourism, told parliament that Macron was just "doing his job" as economy minister: "He spoke with Uber. But also with Netflix, with AirBnB, Tesla (...) And why? Because those companies are at the core of today's economy."

Guardian and Le Monde reporting scoured a trove of 124,000 internal documents tracing Uber's aggressive expansion campaign between 2013 and 2017. The papers say the company clearly broke laws, exploited violence against its drivers, and secretly cultivated political contacts to help it advance its agenda. 

js/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)