Page 5 - Emmanuel Macron

French PM Sebastien Lecornu resigns after under a month in office

France Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned just hours after unveiling his cabinet, ending his brief 26-day tenure amid political criticism

Emmanuel Macron ally Roland Lescure named France's new finance minister

An initial salvo of 18 ministers was announced on Sunday evening by Emmanuel Moulin, Secretary General of the Élysee Palace

French PM Lecornu rejects forced Budget law, seeks cross-party support

France's new prime minister announced Friday he would not use a special constitutional power to force a budget through parliament without a vote and will instead seek a compromise with lawmakers from the left and the right. Sbastien Lecornu, a 39 year-old centrist, was appointed last month by President Emmanuel Macron after political turmoil over planned spending cuts that led to the fall of his predecessor. Friday's move seek to prevent a no-confidence motion from being voted at parliament, where Lecornu lacks a majority. Each lawmaker must be able to have power, must be able to have responsibility, Lecornu said. I decided to renounce using the article 49.3 of the Constitution. The government will need to change its method, build compromises during the parliamentary debate, he added. The so-called 49.3 article provides says the government can pass a bill without a vote at the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Lecornu's predecessor, Franois Bayrou, used it to pass

Macron links tanker seized off French coast to Russia's shadow oil fleet

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that an oil tanker immobilised off the French Atlantic coast had committed very serious wrongdoings and linked it to Russia's shadow fleet, which is avoiding Western sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. The tanker was sailing last week off the coast of Denmark and was cited by European naval experts as possibly being involved in drone flights over the country. French naval forces forcibly boarded the ship a few days ago at the request of prosecutors who suspected wrongdoing, a military official said Wednesday. The prosecutor's office in the western French city of Brest said a judicial investigation has been opened into the crew's refusal to cooperate and failure to justify the nationality of the vessel. The ship was ordered to stay in place pending further investigation, the military official said. French naval forces boarded the ship again Wednesday to provide food and fuel to the crew aboard, according to the official, who was no

Macron dials Trump after being blocked due to motorcade route

French President Emmanuel Macron was briefly stuck outside the UN in New York City after his speech recognising the State of Palestine, all because of security for US President Trump’s motorcade.

France formally recognises Palestinian state at UN, defying US and Israel

As the Gaza war rages on, France recognized Palestinian statehood on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the United Nations aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. More nations are expected to follow, in defiance of Israel and the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement in the UN General Assembly hall received loud applause from the more than 140 leaders in attendance. The Palestinian delegation, including its UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, could be seen standing and applauding as the declaration was made. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, was seen applauding on a live-camera view after the US government banned him from attending the UN gathering in person. True to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, this is why I declare that today, France recognizes the state of Palestine, Macron said. The meeting and expanded recognition of ..

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