Page 17 - France

French Prez accepts PM's resignation, keeps him as head of caretaker govt

French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the prime minister's resignation on Tuesday but kept him on as head of a caretaker government. Macron's office said in a statement that Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers on Tuesday. Attal and other government members are to handle current affairs until a new government is being appointed, the statement said. There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister. France is about to host the Paris Olympic Games at the end of the month. Attal offered his resignation last week after a chaotic election result left the government in limbo. Macron asked him to remain temporarily as the head of the government pending a further decision, with France about to be under an international spotlight as it hosts the Paris Olympics. French media said the prime minister's resignation is expected to be formally accepted by Macron by Tuesday evening. The move would allow Attal to take up h

France's Bastille Day parade meets Olympic torch relay in exceptional year

Paris is hosting an extra-special guest for France's national holiday Sunday the Olympic flame lighting up the city's grandiose military parade for Bastille Day. Just 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games, the torch relay is joining up with thousands of soldiers, sailors, rescuers and medics marching in Paris beneath roaring fighter jets to mark Bastille Day. While people around France mark the day with concerts, parties and fireworks, here's a look at what the holiday's about, and what's different this year: What does Bastille Day celebrate?On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille fortress and prison in Paris, heralding the start of the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy. The holiday is central to the French calendar, with events across the country. It aims to embody the national motto of 'liberty, equality and fraternity,' though not everyone in France feels the country lives up to that promise. T

Macron refuses resignation of France PM for 'stability of country'

President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation of France's prime minister, asking him on Monday to remain temporarily as the head of the government after a chaotic election result left the government in limbo. Voters split the legislature on the left, centre and far right, leaving no faction even close to the majority needed to form a government. The results from Sunday's vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union's second-largest economy. Macron gambled that his decision to call an early election would give France a moment of clarification, but the outcome showed the opposite, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, when the country will be under an international spotlight. The French stock market fell upon opening before quickly recovering, possibly because markets had feared an outright victory for the far right or the leftist coalition. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had said he would remain in office if needed, but offered his resignation .

People in France welcome far right's defeat but fear rise in hate speech

For many French voters of diverse backgrounds, last Sunday's parliamentary election results were a relief, seemingly an embrace of the country's ethnic variety instead of a victory for xenophobic far-right forces. It was a moment of joy, a light at the end of the tunnel, Loven Bensimon said about the ballot results. She celebrated Sunday with thousands of others who rallied against the far right at Place de la Republique in Paris around a giant patchwork French flag that read, France is the fabric of migrations. But the fight is not over, said Bensimon, 27, a Black woman who works in communications. We have to fight against the racism we face every day, and which has been more visible in the past few weeks. Thought to be on the verge of seizing a majority in the National Assembly, the anti-immigration National Rally eventually came in third in Sunday's vote, after centrists and leftists joined forces. Candidates in three-way races dropped out of the runoff to favor the challenger ..

Euro Cup 2024 semifinal highlights: Spain beats France 2-1, reaches final

After seeing off another one of the pre-tournament favorites to reach the Euro 2024 final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned England or the Netherlands that his team can still improve. Spain reached the European Championship decider with a 2-1 victory over France on Tuesday, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest-ever scorer at the continental tournament. France took an early lead when Randal Kolo Muani headed in a cross from Kylian Mbapp, who played without a mask, before Yamal's moment of brilliance in the 21st minute. Dani Olmo scored the clincher four minutes later. We were in a difficult stretch after not expecting to concede so early. I just took the ball and wanted to put it right there. I am very happy," Yamal said. I don't try to think about it too much, just enjoy myself and help the team, and if it goes my way, then I am happy (for the goal) and for the win. Spain, which is chasing a record fourth European Championship title, will play England or the

Carla Bruni charged with witness tampering in husband's campaign case

Former supermodel and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was given preliminary charges Tuesday for involvement in alleged efforts to pressure a witness who accused ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy of receiving illegal campaign financing from Libya. Bruni-Sarkozy was placed under judicial supervision on Tuesday, which included a ban on contact with all those involved in the proceedings with the exception of her husband, according to a judicial official not authorized to be publicly named when speaking about an ongoing investigation. Preliminary charges against Bruni-Sarkozy include witness tampering and participation in a criminal association with an attempt to commit fraud in efforts to deceive magistrates investigating her husband on suspicion of receiving illegal funds during his 2007 presidential election campaign, the official said. Bruni-Sarkozy's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. After she was questioned by police in May, her lawyers said she provided 'useful ...

French elections: Left bloc wants to rule but centrists demand a role

The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) won the most seats in the National Assembly but fell short of an absolute majority by about 100 seats

Le Pen faces investigation for 2022 French election campaign funding

The Paris prosecutor opened the case after it was alerted by the country's campaign-funding watchdog in 2023, an official said in an email

France's election outcome 'negative' for credit rating, says Moody's

France is facing complex negotiations to form a government after a left-wing surge in elections on Sunday blocked Marine Le Pen's quest to bring the far right to power

France's elections end with no clear majority. What happens next?

Election results show French voters have chosen to give a broad leftist coalition the most parliamentary seats in pivotal legislative elections, keeping the far right away from power. Yet no party won an outright majority, putting France in an uncertain, unprecedented situation. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance arrived in second position and the far right in third still drastically increasing the number of seats it holds in the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament. No clear figure has emerged as a possible future prime minister. Macron says he will wait to decide his next steps, and heads to Washington this week for a NATO summit. The new legislators can start work in parliament on Monday, and their first new session starts July 18. A hung parliament? Three major political blocs emerged from the elections yet none of them is close to the majority of at least 289 seats out of 577. The National Assembly is the most important of France's two houses of

Paris Olympics 2024: All about tickets, stays, ways to get around Paris

Paris Olympics 2024 is set to be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Check details about tickets, stays get around and other things

If France is boring you, go watch something else, says coach Deschamps

A boring France team? Coach Didier Deschamps doesn't care. Tuesday's European Championship semifinal between Spain and France is a matchup of very different styles. One team is playing some of the most exciting soccer at Euro 2024, and the other is playing arguably the dullest. A team that has won all five of its matches, against a team that has won just two (excluding Friday's penalty shootout victory over Portugal ). A team that has scored a tournament high 11 goals, against a team whose players have yet to score from open play having notched two own goals and a penalty. If we're boring you, you can watch something else, it doesn't matter, Deschamps said on Monday when asked about criticism of his team's form. It's a very particular European Championship, with less goals than normal. We have the chance to make France happy, in a delicate situation for the country. If (others) are bored, I don't really care. France has underwhelmed and captain Kylian Mbapp is frustrated as he

Far-right groups from France, Hungary to be new political force in EU Parl

Far-right parties from 12 countries, including France's National Rally and Hungary's ruling Fidesz, announced on Monday that they have joined together to form a new bloc in the European Parliament and plan to become a major political force. The European Parliament moved perceptibly to the right following Europe-wide elections a month ago as many voters abandoned the business-friendly liberals and environmentalist Greens. Mainstream centre-right and centre-left groups still hold the majority though. The new bloc, dubbed Patriots for Europe, is made up of 84 EU lawmakers and will be led by Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old protg of Marine Le Pen. Kinga Gl, from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's Fidesz party, will be first vice president. Right-wing parties from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are also involved. Forming a group brings parties more influence, money and the possibility of coveted posts on ...

French revolution

Hung Parliament points to turmoil ahead

French elections: Macron the gambler wins chance to play Kingmaker

Results for the final round of France's snap parliamentary election suggest voters have delivered an emphatic 'non' to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally

French elections 2024: Left leads, far-right rises, no majority secured

The left coalition in France won the most seats in Sunday's legislative elections, countering a far-right surge but failing to secure a majority

Violence breaks out in France as left-wing coalition leads snap election

French election night turned turbulent as results showed a left-wing coalition poised to claim the majority of parliamentary seats

French voters deliver political deadlock as left falls short of majority

The awkward leftist alliance, which the hard left, Greens and Socialists hastily put together before the vote, was far from having an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat assembly

French PM Attal resigns as leftist coalition defeats Macron's ruling party

The election results marked a significant shift in French politics, with the National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, claiming substantial gains

France's business elite braces for new era of political volatility

Far right and left-wing parties want to roll back some of Macron's reforms, ranging from raising the retirement age to scrapping a wealth tax on financial assets