France and Germany renew postwar vows of friendship

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Admin

Macron and Merkel sign update to 1963 Élysée treaty in effort to mitigate populist party gains

France and Germany have renewed their vows of postwar friendship, aiming to show that the traditional engine powering the EU project is still strong but drawing fierce criticism from the nationalist and populist parties advancing across the continent.

President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel signed the 16-page update to the 1963 Elysée treaty on Tuesday in the German border city of Aachen, residence of Charlemagne, the “father of Europe” who managed to unite much of western the continent in the ninth century.

Macron seeks to turn ‘anger into solutions’ in open letter to France

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Admin

French president wants 2,300-word missive to spark national debate about policy reform

Emmanuel Macron has launched a two-month “great national debate” in France with a 2,330-word open letter to the country.

The French president hopes the nationwide public consultation will take the sting out of the widespread public anger behind the rise of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement and the civil unrest across France.

Police use water cannon and teargas on Paris protesters

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Admin

Marches across France take place on the ninth weekend of gilets jaunes demonstrations

Gilets jaunes protesters engaged in a ninth weekend of protests all over France on Saturday as the president, Emmanuel Macron, prepared to stake his political future on an open letter to the French people and a national debate.

Officials said that at least 84,000 demonstrators turned out across France, thousands more than last weekend, with about 8,000 of those in Paris where protests passed “without serious incident”. Gilets jaunes – named after the hi-vis yellow vests French motorists must carry in their vehicles – said the number was higher but did not give a figure.

Ninth weekend of gilets jaunes protests sees police use water cannon in Paris – video

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Admin

Police in Paris fired water cannon and teargas at gilet jaunes (yellow vest) protesters on the ninth consecutive weekend of demonstrations. The protests began as a protest against a new eco-tax on petrol and diesel, but has grown to encompass a wide range of demands including giving people a greater say in policy via citizens’ referenda.