Page 2 - Emmanuel Macron

Strikes, protests roil France, pitting streets against Macron, new PM

Marching with thousands of other protesters in Paris, hospital nurse Aya Tour put her finger on the pulse of many who took to streets across France on Thursday against the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Fed up. Really, really fed up," she said. Those people governing us, they have no clue about real-life issues. We are paying the price. Strikes that hobbled the Paris Metro and disrupted other services, coupled with nationwide demonstrations that saw sporadic clashes with police who fired volleys of tear gas, gave loud voice to widespread complaints that eight years of leadership by France's business-friendly president have benefited too few people and hurt too many. The day of upheaval for the European Union's second-largest economy aimed to turn up the heat on new Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu and his boss, Macron. They're engaged in an intensifying battle both in parliament and on the streets about how to plug holes in France's finances, with opponents fighting propos

French police detain 295 in clashes as Macron appoints new prime minister

Protesters blocked roads, lit blazes and were met with volleys of tear gas on Wednesday in Paris and elsewhere in France, heaping pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and making new Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu 's first day in office a baptism of fire. The government's interior ministry announced 295 arrests in the first hours of what was a planned day of nationwide demonstrations against Macron, budget cuts and other complaints. Although falling short of its self-declared intention to Block Everything, the protest movement that started online over the summer caused widespread hot spots of disruption, defying an exceptional deployment of 80,000 police who broke up barricades and swiftly made arrests. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that a bus was set on fire in the western city of Rennes. In the southwest, fire damage to electrical cables stopped train services on one line and disrupted traffic on another, government transport authorities said. Spreading protests The .

France's Macron names loyalist Sebastien Lecornu as new Prime Minister

Macron was forced to appoint a fifth prime minister in less than two years after parliament ousted Francois Bayrou nine months into the role over his plans for taming the country's ballooning debt

Macron appoints Defence Minister Lecornu as France's latest prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron late Tuesday appointed Defence Minister Sbastien Lecornu as France's new prime minister, the country's fourth in about a year. Lecornu, 39, is the youngest defence minister in French history and architect of a major military buildup through 2030, spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine. A former conservative who joined Macron's centrist movement in 2017, he has held posts in local governments, overseas territories and during Macron's yellow vest great debate, where he helped manage mass anger with dialogue. He also offered talks on autonomy during unrest in Guadeloupe in 2021. His rise reflects Macron's instinct to reward loyalty, but also the need for continuity as repeated budget showdowns have toppled his predecessors and left France in drift. Legislators toppled Lecornu's predecessor Francois Bayrou and his government in a confidence vote on Monday, a new crisis for Europe's second-largest economy. Bayrou gambled that lawmakers would back his view t

Four prime ministers in one year: What led to France's government collapse

France's government collapsed after Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday, defeated by 364 to 194 in the National Assembly

Macron looks to appoint new French PM after Bayrou loses confidence vote

While Macron doesn't lack for people who might accept the role, selecting someone who can find common ground among the groups is far from obvious

France faces more political upheaval as PM Bayrou's fate hangs in balance

France risks losing its third prime minister in 12 months on Monday, with incumbent Francois Bayrou facing a parliamentary confidence vote that he called but is widely expected to lose, heralding more instability for the European Union's second-largest economy. The 74-year-old centrist prime minister, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron just under nine months ago, is gambling that the vote will unite lawmakers in the sharply divided National Assembly behind proposed public spending cuts that Bayrou argues are needed to rein in France's spiralling state deficit and debts. But opposition lawmakers are vowing to instead use the opportunity to topple Bayrou and his minority government of centrist and right-wing ministers, an upheaval that would force Macron to begin what could be another arduous hunt for a replacement. A key vote The National Assembly of 577 lawmakers is interrupting its summer recess for the extraordinary session that Bayrou requested, starting at 3 pm (1300 GMT; 0

PM Modi, French President Macron discuss efforts to end Ukraine conflict

The two leaders also reviewed the progress of the India France strategic partnership during a phone conversation

France, Saudi to co-chair conference on two-state solution for Palestine

Macron also set priorities for the conference that include permanent ceasefire, hostage release, large-scale aid to Gaza, and a stabilisation mission in the Gaza Strip

Macron's decision to recognise Palestinian state in Sept angers Israel, US

French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognise a Palestinian state, prompting similar moves from other Western nations, angered Israel and its US ally by putting a two-state solution back at the heart of diplomatic efforts to end the devastating war in Gaza. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Macron wrote that our determination to see the Palestinian people have their own state is rooted in our conviction that lasting peace is essential to the security of the state of Israel. France's diplomatic efforts stem from our outrage at the appalling humanitarian disaster in Gaza, for which there can be no justification, Macron added. Israel on Friday declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone as the death toll surpassed 63,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, since the war started on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack on Israel. France, the UK, Canada, Australia and Malta have said they would formalize their pledge

Fight against antisemitism must not be weaponised: Macron tells Netanyahu

The tensions come after Netanyahu, in mid-August, accused Macron of fuelling antisemitism in France by announcing that the country would recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September

All you need to know about Charles Kushner, US diplomat summoned to Paris

Paris' summoning of US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner, following his allegations that the country had not done enough to combat antisemitism, indicates its formal displeasure with the diplomat. But Kushner the father of Jared Kushner, son-in-law to President Donald Trump did not respond to a summons Monday and sent his No. 2 instead, according to a French diplomatic official. Charles Kushner was summoned after writing a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism. The foreign ministry called his allegations "unacceptable." French-US relations have faced tensions this year amid Trump's trade war and a split over the future of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. France and the U.S. also have been divided on support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, but the split has eased with Trump expressing support for security guarantees and a warm meeting with Macron and other European leaders at the White House last week. Here's wha

PM Modi receives call from 'friend' Macron, talks bilateral ties, Ukraine

PM Modi reiterated India's consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia and early restoration of peace and stability

Trump meets Zelenskyy, European leaders at White House: What they said

Trump met Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict; leaders stressed ceasefire, unity, and security guarantees

Ukraine may have to recognise territorial losses under peace deal: Macron

The French leader also recalled that several Western countries have expressed readiness to send several thousand troops to Ukraine to ensure post-conflict peace, as per Tass

Trump wants Ukraine to have say on territory talks with Russia, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron says US President Donald Trump was very clear in a meeting with European leaders that the US wants to achieve a ceasefire at the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Speaking after the virtual meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Macron said Trump was prioritising a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He added that Trump had been clear that territorial issues relating to Ukraine ... will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president. Following his meeting with the Russian leader, Trump will also seek a future trilateral meeting one involving Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy, Macron said. I think that's a very important point in this regard. And we hope that it can be held in Europe, in a neutral country that is acceptable to all parties, Macron said.

US slams French Prez Macron's decision to recognise Palestinian state at UN

Macron shared a letter to Mahmoud Abbas on X, confirming France's plan to recognise Palestine at the UNGA and rally support from other nations for the move

We want to provide trade stability and have lowest tariffs possible: Macron

Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he would coordinate with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and their other European counterparts

UK, France agree to 'one in, one out' migrant deal to curb sea crossings

With record numbers of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats this year more than 21,000 have done so through this week Starmer is under pressure to rein in the numbers

Britain, France try to tackle English Channel migrant crossings again

After the bonhomie and banquets of a formal state visit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron are turning to a topic that has stymied successive British and French governments: how to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. At a UK-France summit on Thursday that caps Macron's three-day stay, senior officials from the two countries will try to seal deals on economic growth, defence cooperation and perhaps trickiest of all unauthorised migration. Macron and Starmer also will visit a military base and dial in to a planning meeting of the coalition of the willing, a UK- and France-backed plan for an international force to guarantee a future ceasefire in Ukraine. During a meeting inside 10 Downing St. on Wednesday, the two leaders agreed that tackling small boat crossings "is a shared priority that requires shared solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model" of people-smuggling gangs, Starmer's office said. It said they