Page 18 - France

French turn out in force for parliamentary election, far right seeks power

In the outgoing parliament, French President Macron's alliance had only 250 seats and he required support from other parties to pass laws

How Macron went from successful political newcomer to a weakened leader

French President Emmanuel Macron's expected political failure in decisive parliamentary elections Sunday may paralyse the country, weaken him abroad and overshadow his legacy, just as France prepares to step into the global spotlight as host of the Paris Olympics. France's youngest-ever president is known on the international stage for his tireless diplomatic efforts and pro-European initiatives. Now, many wonder how he will manage to keep the reins of the country with likely no majority in parliament and a confrontational government. Constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term in 2027, Macron, 46, is facing a struggle not to become a lame duck. Whatever the outcome of Sunday's runoff, it's not expected to be good news for Macron. French media have recently described an end of reign atmosphere at the Elysee presidential palace. Polls show Macron's centrist alliance is headed for defeat in Sunday's runoff, after coming in third in the first round. It looks a

Euro 2024 quarterfinals: Ronaldo heads home as France beats Portugal 5-3

France's heartache in penalty shootouts is over. So is Cristiano Ronaldo's last-ever European Championship. In a clash of the soccer superstars, it was Kylian Mbapp and not Ronaldo, his idol advancing to a semifinal match against Spain as France beat Portugal 5-3 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw on Friday. Portugal substitute Joao Felix hit a post with the only miss in the shootout and Theo Hernndez showed no sign of pressure by converting the clinching kick into the top corner. It was a record sixth and final European Championship for the 39-year-old Ronaldo, who scored Portugal's first penalty in the shootout and ended up consoling fellow veteran Pepe afterward as the 41-year-old defender cried on his captain's shoulder. We need to go through this moment of our loss, which is very painful, Pepe said. Ronaldo's 20-year career in the Euros included the title in 2016 when Portugal beat France in the final and it remains to be seen if the five-time world player of the year wil

World leaders congratulate Starmer after Labour's victory in UK election

We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI, said French President while congratulating Keir Starmer

French elections: Exit polls predict hung parliament; Far Right could gain

A total of 577 constituencies are being decided in the election, one for each seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament

1300-year-old French magical sword goes missing leaving the locals stunned

The theft of the magical Durandal sword has become the talk of the town. The sharpest sword could cut boulders with a single strike. Authorities are trying to recover the lost historical artefact

Germany fears victory for far-right could harm close relations with France

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is worried about the outcome of the run-off election in France. Scholz, who is normally tightlipped when asked about domestic politics in other European countries, has in recent weeks more than once expressed concern that the far-right, nationalist National Rally may win the second round of elections in neighbouring France on Sunday. Earlier this week, the decidedly pro-European German chancellor even revealed that he and beleaguered French President Emmanuel Macron are texting on a daily basis as the election draws closer. We are discussing the situation, which is really depressing," Scholz said at a summer gathering of his Social Democratic Party in Berlin on Tuesday, according to German news agency dpa. In any case, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the French, whom I love and appreciate so much, the country that means so much to me, will succeed in preventing a government led by a right-wing populist party," Scholz added in an unusually emotiona

Roadmap for 2036: PM seeks athletes' inputs on conduct of Paris Olympics

Confident that India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics will be successful, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged athletes bound for this month's Paris Games to share their views on the arrangements in the French capital to help the country's ambitious push to bring the showpiece here. In an interaction with Paris-bound athletes, conducted both in person and online on Thursday, Modi said those travelling to the French capital would do the country a huge service by providing inputs from their experience. "We are hoping to host the Olympics in 2036, it will help in creating a sporting atmosphere. Work is in progress to prepare infrastructure for it," he said in the interaction, which was attended by the national men's hockey team, the shooting contingent, boxers and track-and-field stars such as Neeraj Chopra. The interaction's complete video was shared by Prime Minister's Office on Friday. "I won't ask you to do anything in the middle of your events but when you are free, I would urge

French senate calls for change to nuclear power price regulation

The Senate inquiry commission recommended replacing last November's agreement with 'real regulation' in the form of a CfD on the existing nuclear fleet

Russia-linked cybercampaigns target France, focus on Olympics and elections

Photos of blood-red hands on a Holocaust memorial. Caskets at the Eiffel Tower. A fake French military recruitment drive calling for soldiers in Ukraine, and major French news sites improbably registered in an obscure Pacific territory, population 15,000. All are part of disinformation campaigns orchestrated out of Russia and targeting France, according to French officials and cybersecurity experts in Europe and the United States. France's legislative elections and the Paris Olympics sent them into overdrive. More than a dozen reports issued in the past year point to an intensifying effort from Russia to undermine France, particularly the upcoming Games, and President Emmanuel Macron, who is one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters in Europe. The Russian campaigns sowing anti-French disinformation began online early last summer but first became tangible in October 2023 when more than 1,000 bots linked to Russia relayed photos of graffitied Stars of David in Paris and its suburbs. A .

After Lufthansa-ITA deal, experts say European regulators may deter tie-ups

While the deal expands Lufthansa's footprint in the lucrative southern European market, the combined group will have to cede some routes and slots to rivals for it to proceed

Europe holds breath for France polls; Macron's role in EU to get diluted

The big fear for the EU's traditional political mainstream is an outright RN victory, forcing Macron to 'co-habit' with a government hostile to his vision of European sovereignty

Far-right majority can be avoided in polls, says French PM Gabriel Attal

Asked about calls for the creation of a temporary cross-party government if no grouping achieved a majority, Attal said he would not impose on voters "a coalition they did not choose"

French man pleads guilty to charges of collecting military data in Russia

A French citizen arrested in Russia has pleaded guilty to criminal charges involving illegally collecting information on military issues in the country, state news agency Tass reported Wednesday. Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital in June as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine. Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about Russia's military and military-technical activities, which could be used to the detriment of the country's security. They did not provide details of the accusations beyond alleging that Vinatier repeatedly travelled to Russia to collect information. Under Russian law, the criminal offense is punishable by up to five years in prison. Russia's Investigative Committee said Wednesday that it questioned seven witnesses with whom the accused held meetings to collect .

Historic win for far right in 1st round of French parliament elections

RN and allies had 33 per cent of the vote, followed by a leftwing bloc with 28 per cent and President Emmanuel Macron's centrists with just 20 per cent

Snap election results stoke violence. What's happening in France?

Violence broke out on the streets of France after Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party won the first round of France's parliamentary elections on June 30. Watch the video to know the de

Jordan Bardella could become youngest French PM at helm of far-right party

At just 28 years old, Jordan Bardella has helped make the far-right National Rally the strongest political force in France. And now he could become the country's youngest prime minister. After voters propelled Marine Le Pen's National Rally to a strong lead in Sunday's first round of snap legislative elections, Bardella turned to rallying supporters to hand their party an absolute majority in the decisive round on July 7. That would allow the anti-immigration, nationalist party to run the government, with Bardella at the helm. Who is the National Rally president? When Bardella replaced his mentor, Marine Le Pen, in 2022 at the helm of France's leading far-right party, he became the first person without the Le Pen name to lead it since its founding a half-century ago. His selection marked a symbolic changing of the guard. It was part of Le Pen's decade-long effort to rebrand her party, with its history of racism, and remove the stigma of antisemitism that clung to it in order to ..

French polls: France may see its first Far-Right govt since World War II

Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party and its allies secured about one-third of France's national vote on Sunday, according to projections by French polling agencies

Paris Olympics likely to impact Air France KLM ticket sales this summer

France will host the Olympic Games from July 26 to Aug. 11, which has caused some people to rethink their travel plans, the company said in a statement

France election: Macron on the defensive as National Rally gains ground

If no clear majority is established, France could face prolonged political deadlock and weaken the government's ability to implement policies effectively