Tag Archives: Emmanuel Macron

Reuters reports: France will start easing its COVID-19 lockdown this weekend so that by Christmas, shops, theatres and cinemas will re-open and people will be able to spend the holiday with the rest of their family, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. In a televised address to the nation, Macron said the worst of the second wave of the …

Axios reports: France has become the second country in Western Europe to surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases, Johns Hopkins University data shows. The big picture: France had reported 1,000,369 cases and 34,075 deaths from the coronavirus by Thursday morning, per JHU. French President Emmanuel Macron declared a state of health emergency and imposed a curfew on virus hot spots earlier …

Reuters reports: The French government on Wednesday declared a public health state of emergency, giving officials greater powers to impose new measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Announcing the decision in a statement, the government said the epidemic was a public health disaster which endangered the health of the population and justified the adoption of strict measures. The government’s …

CNN reports: Large crowds mobbed French President Emmanuel Macron in Beirut as he toured a neighborhood of the Lebanese capital devastated by Tuesday’s massive explosion. “Revolution, revolution!” people chanted, as shock at the devastation in the city gave way to anger on Thursday. New information reveals that Beirut officials had ignored repeated warnings about a stockpile of dangerous chemicals linked …

Politico reports: When the English Twitter account for the French foreign ministry revealed Franck Riester’s new title of junior minister for trade and “attractiveness,” it immediately elicited mocking online and questions about whether it had been mistranslated. In France, the term “attractivité” is often used to refer to attracting investment. The French foreign ministry assured its followers it had looked …

Bloomberg News reports: The World Health Organization and the leaders of France and Germany launched an $8 billion drive to accelerate development of a coronavirus vaccine, stressing it should be available to everyone without favor shown to the country that develops it first. “The world needs these tools and it needs them fast,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at …

The New York Times reports: Adopting martial language, President Emmanuel Macron ordered the French to stay at home for at least the next 15 days, as France put in place some of the most severe measures in Europe to try to curb the raging coronavirus. The aggressive move by France came as other countries in the region introduced measures that …

The Associated Press reports: The Eiffel Tower shut down, France’s vaunted high-speed trains stood still and several thousand people protested in Paris as unions launched open-ended, nationwide strikes Thursday over the government’s plan to overhaul the retirement system. Paris authorities barricaded the presidential palace and deployed 6,000 police as activists – many in yellow vests representing France’s year-old movement for …

The New York Times reports: President Trump began a two-day summit meeting on Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of NATO — strained, in part, by his own brash handling of overseas allies — by stepping into an unlikely role as defender of an alliance he once called “obsolete.” Mr. Trump said President Emmanuel Macron of France had been “very …

Reuters reports: The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement “won’t change the course of things” and is a “marginal” choice, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. “When China, the European Union and Russia commit to [the Paris Agreement], the isolated choice of this or that [country] isn’t enough to change the course of things,” Macron said in a …

NBC News reports: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Tuesday that he will accept the offer of international aid to help fight the fires raging across the Amazon rainforest, but that French President Emmanuel Macron must first apologize to him. Bolsonaro appeared offended by Macron’s comments related to his handling of the unfolding crisis in the Amazon, and wanted them retracted. …

Sky News reports: A Bolsonaro supporter posted a Facebook meme mocking the appearance of Brigitte Macron, 66, and comparing her unfavourably with Brazil’s first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, 37, along with the caption: “Now you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro?” Mr Bolsonaro responded: “Do not humiliate the guy, hahaha.” Asked about the comment at the G7 summit in Biarritz, Mr …

Reuters reports: U.S. President Donald Trump will participate in a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday at the conclusion of the G7 summit in France, the White House said on Sunday. The session will take place in Biarritz at 3:30 p.m. (1330 GMT), following the G7 closing session, the White House said in its daily press …

The Guardian reports: It was a symbolic gift from Emmanuel Macron to Donald Trump at the height of their “bromance” last year: an oak tree ceremoniously planted in the manicured lawns of the White House by both leaders. Once the cameras had departed, the tree was uprooted and placed into quarantine to avoid the spread of non-native diseases and invasive …

Reuters reports: Rioters in Paris torched motorbikes and set barricades ablaze on the upmarket Boulevard Saint Germain on Saturday, as protests against high living costs and the perceived indifference of President Emmanuel Macron turned violent on the fringes. The latest “yellow vest” marches began peacefully but degenerated in the afternoon as protesters threw missiles at riot police blocking bridges over …

Bloomberg reports: Emmanuel Macron successfully dodged cyberattacks and fake news reports that were widely blamed on a Kremlin effort to destabilize his 2017 presidential campaign. Now, with France convulsed by violent protests, the Russians appear to be back – and may be hitting closer to their mark. Among 600 Twitter accounts known to promote Kremlin views, the top hashtag now …

Agence France-Presse reports: The French government plans to announce Tuesday the suspension of fuel tax increases slated for January in a bid to quell the fierce protests which have ballooned into the deepest crisis of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, sources said. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will also unveil other measures to help boost the living standards of low-income households, the government …

The Associated Press reports: France’s most violent urban riot in more than a decade engulfed some of central Paris on Saturday as “yellow jacket” activists torched cars, smashed windows, looted stores and tagged the Arc de Triomphe with multi-colored graffiti. Protesters angry about rising taxes and the high cost of living clashed with French riot police, who closed off some …

The Associated Press reports: French police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent demonstrators in Paris on Saturday, as thousands gathered in the capital and beyond and staged road blockades to vent anger against rising fuel taxes. Thousands of police were deployed nationwide to contain the eighth day of deadly demonstrations that started as protests against tax but …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Tuesday continued his ongoing attacks on French President Emmanuel Macron, hitting the French leader’s “low” approval rating, unemployment rate and trade policies. Trump in the next tweet went on a more personal attack, referencing Macron’s speech about “nationalism” over the weekend. Trump’s weekend visit to France was marked by multiple indications of a souring …