Category Archives: Emmanuel Macron

German, French and Polish leaders hold emergency meeting on Ukraine

Posted on by

European military powers try to dampen tensions between them over Russian war and US aid for Kyiv

The three leading military powers in mainland Europe – France, Germany and Poland – are holding an emergency session in Berlin to try to dampen tensions over their different responses to the twin spectres of Russian military advances in Ukraine and US Congress’s refusal to approve substantial further military aid for Kyiv.

The clash in approach – predominantly between the newly hawkish French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the perennially cautious German chancellor, Olaf Scholz – was laid bare in a dramatic French TV interview on Thursday night in which Macron said Europe’s security, even its existence, was at risk.

Continue reading...

France to make abortion a constitutional right after senate vote

Posted on by

Prime minister says France ‘stands up’ to defend women as rights are attacked around the world

France is preparing to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right at a joint session of parliament next week, after the senate voted in favour on Wednesday night.

France would write into its constitution the “guaranteed freedom” of women to choose an abortion.

Continue reading...

Sweden rules out sending troops to Ukraine after Nato membership agreed

Posted on by

Ulf Kristersson distances himself from Macron, saying ‘France’s tradition is not the Swedish tradition’

Sweden’s prime minister has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine for now – saying the subject is “not relevant at all” – putting down a clear marker between himself and Emmanuel Macron as he prepares for his historically neutral country to imminently join Nato.

Ulf Kristersson, who on Monday hailed a “historic day” as Sweden’s Nato membership was finally approved by Hungary, clearing the Nordic country’s path to join the western military alliance, said that while he respected “France’s will to help Ukraine”, Sweden would be following its own path.

Continue reading...

Russia could attack Nato states if west fails to support Ukraine, Macron says

Posted on by

French president tells Paris conference Moscow ‘must not and cannot’ win the war and that Europe’s security is at stake

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called for western countries to step up their support for Ukraine, warning that Moscow’s actions in recent weeks signal that Russia could attack Nato states in the next few years.

Speaking at the opening of a hastily convened conference of 20 mainly European leaders in Paris designed to speed up the supply of weapons and financial aid to Ukraine, Macron said Russia “must not and cannot win this war” and that Europe’s own security was at stake.

Continue reading...

Macron opens Paris agricultural fair to protests from farmers

Posted on by

French president greeted by whistles from hundreds of demonstrators as some clash with police

Hundreds of protesting farmers clashed with police in Paris as Emmanuel Macron toured the annual agricultural fair on Saturday. The French president had opened the fair as angry farmers blew whistles and shouted insults.

Riot police initially kept the protesters at a safe distance as he toured the fair, tasting honey from Normandy and cheeses from the Alps, and shaking hands with exhibitors. But as he entered the fair’s livestock area, hundreds of demonstrators crashed the gates and clashed with police.

Continue reading...

‘Virile’ exchanges expected as Macron heads to annual French farming show

Posted on by

President faces uncertain reception at Salon d’Agriculture after weeks of protests by furious farmers

Most politicians kiss babies; French leaders pat cows and make a fuss of lambs.

The Salon d’Agriculture, the country’s annual farm show which opens on Saturday, is a date presidents cannot afford to miss.

Continue reading...

Marine Le Pen to defy Macron’s request not to attend event for WW2 resistance hero

Posted on by

President said he was against members of far-right RN attending ceremony for Missak Manouchian

The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is set to defy requests to stay away from a national ceremony to honour a second world war resistance hero.

A spokesperson for Le Pen described President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion she should not attend the event on Wednesday as “outrageous”.

Continue reading...

European leaders call for stronger defence ties after Trump’s Nato remarks

Posted on by

Polish PM Donald Tusk says ‘all for one, and one for all’ in thinly veiled riposte to Republican frontrunner

European leaders have called for greater unity and military cooperation across the continent in response to comments from Donald Trump that threatened to undermine the basis of Nato.

Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, said on a visit to Paris on Monday that there was “no alternative” to the EU and the transatlantic alliance before a summit in which he discussed deepening defence relationships with the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

Continue reading...

‘It’s non-negotiable’: French MPs angry at move to restrict citizenship on Mayotte

Posted on by

Far right says measure should be adopted across France but critics say change breaches fundamental constitutional rights

Emmanuel Macron has been accused of walking a dangerous legal and political tightrope with a proposal to restrict access to French nationality for people born on the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte to immigrant parents.

The far right has welcomed the move, which critics say breaches fundamental constitutional rights, and insisted it should be applied to the whole of France.

Continue reading...

EU must defend Ukraine even if US reduces military support, Macron says

Posted on by

French president says future security architecture of Europe could no longer be settled by the US and Russia

The European Union has to make bold decisions to defend Ukraine, pre-empting any US decision to withhold or reduce its military support, Emmanuel Macron has said.

In a speech in Sweden, which hopes to be the next country to join Nato, the French president also said the future security architecture of Europe, including arms control agreements covering European territory, could no longer be settled simply by the US and Russia, and Europe had to have a right to determine its own future.

Continue reading...

Macron criticised from all sides after ‘reactionary’ press conference

Posted on by

French president wanted to reset second term but was accused of borrowing language from hard-right amid discontent in his party

Emmanuel Macron has faced a barrage of criticism across the political spectrum after a marathon press conference aimed at reinvigorating his turbulent second term in office.

The French president was accused of poaching from the hard-right playbook only a week after appointing Gabriel Attal, 34, the country’s youngest prime minister, and naming a government that shifted into conservative territory.

Continue reading...

Row over education minister sparks crisis in France’s new government

Posted on by

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra was accused of lying about why she enrolled her son in a private school

France’s new education minister has sparked the first major crisis for Gabriel Attal’s new government following accusations she failed to give the true reason why she enrolled her children in a private school.

The snowballing row threatens to derail attempts by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to give the government – which does not have an absolute parliamentary majority – a new lease of life before European elections in June.

Continue reading...

Macron looks to Sarkozy connection to head off far right in France

Posted on by

Hiring of figures close to former rightwing leader Nicolas Sarkozy confirms president’s rightward shift

Emmanuel Macron has tilted the French government significantly to the right, bringing in key figures close to the former rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy in an attempt to reinvigorate his second term and limit possible gains by the far right at the European elections.

“I don’t want managers, I want revolutionaries,” Macron told the first cabinet meeting of the new government led by Gabriel Attal, 34, France’s youngest ever prime minister. He called for “quick results”.

Continue reading...

New French PM seeks to send strong message on law and order

Posted on by

Gabriel Attal attempts to set tone as Macron government tries to counter rise of Marine Le Pen’s far-right

The new French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has sent a strong message on law and order on his first full day in office, visiting a police station and promising to deliver security to “responsible working French people”, who he said wanted calm.

“There is no security without our police,” said Attal on Wednesday outside a police station in Ermont in the Val-d’Oise, setting the tone for his attempts to counter the rise of Marine Le Pen’s far-right.

Continue reading...

Gabriel Attal becomes youngest French PM as Macron tries to revive popularity

Posted on by

Attal, 34, rose in opinion polls during his time as education minister and may help ruling party in EU elections

Emmanuel Macron has appointed France’s youngest-ever prime minister, Gabriel Attal, as he seeks to reinvigorate a difficult second term as president and limit any possible gains for the far right in the forthcoming European elections in June.

Attal, 34, who was serving as education minister, has been referred to as a “baby Macron” as he shares similar qualities to the president, such as his ambition, strong media presence and centrist politics. He is considered to be the best-known and most recognisable face of the close circle of young politicians around the president.

Continue reading...

Gabriel Attal’s real challenge will be to break French parliament’s political deadlock

Posted on by

The new PM was chosen to boost Emmanuel Macron’s agenda but, as his predecessor found out, pushing through legislation won’t be easy

As Gabriel Attal, France’s new prime minister, hastily made his first trip to the northern Pas‐de‐Calais to assess flood damage and reassure struggling residents and local politicians on Tuesday, it symbolised the challenges that await him.

A popular former government spokesperson and master political communicator, Attal was chosen to boost government by the centrist Emmanuel Macron who is approaching the two-year mark of his difficult second term with dipping approval ratings and facing voters’ growing distrust of politics in general.

Continue reading...

Gabriel Attal, 34, becomes youngest ever French prime minister – Europe live

Posted on by

Former education minister succeeds Élisabeth Borne, who resigned on Monday, as Emmanuel Macron seeks to give fresh impetus to his government

Congratulations are starting to pour in for Gabriel Attal, the youngest prime minister of France’s Fifth Republic.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has appointed the country’s 34-year old education minister, Gabriel Attal, as prime minister, French media outlets reported. He is the youngest French PM in modern history and will succeed Élisabeth Borne, who resigned yesterday.

Continue reading...

French PM Élisabeth Borne quits as Macron seeks boost before EU elections

Posted on by

Second female prime minister of Fifth Republic resigns after days of speculation about reshuffle, with Le Pen party ahead in polls

France’s prime minister Élisabeth Borne has resigned after days of increasingly feverish speculation about an imminent government reshuffle.

Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to give a new impetus to his second mandate before European parliament elections and the Paris Olympics this summer, said on Monday he thanked Borne “with all his heart” for her “exemplary work in the service of the nation”.

Continue reading...

Row in France as government reluctant to back dry January

Posted on by

Addiction experts urge state to promote month of abstinence but alcohol lobby says idea is out of step with French culture

Dry January is at the centre of a political row in France after more than 45 professors of addiction studies signed a letter urging the state to promote a month of abstinence from alcohol.

A group of senior academics and doctors working on addiction have written to the French health minister to say that not enough is being done by the state to campaign on alcohol risks, and the government should support an alcohol-free month at the start of the year.

Continue reading...

‘Vandalism’: outcry over plans to replace Notre Dame Cathedral’s chapel windows

Posted on by

Thousands sign petition challenging Macron-backed restoration that would add contemporary design to building

A plan backed by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to replace stained-glass windows in Notre Dame Cathedral’s side chapels with contemporary creations has been criticised as “vandalism”.

A petition has been signed by more than 120,000 people to retain the original windows. Critics say the change would destroy the architectural harmony of the historical building that was ravaged by fire in April 2019.

Continue reading...