Tag Archives: Emmanuel Macron

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 …

Business Insider reports: President Donald Trump appeared to mock France’s record in World War I and II in a Tuesday morning tweet that again waved the idea of the US pulling out of, or modifying its relationship to NATO. French President Emmanuel Macron has long pushed for a European army separate from NATO, the global alliance that includes the US …

Politico reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s perceived swipe at President Donald Trump is because the leader of America’s oldest ally is facing his own internal problems. “I think he’s got a political problem at home, and I think he’s picking a fight with President Trump to play good politics,” the South Carolina Republican told …

CNN reports: US President Donald Trump was “ranting and venting on trade” to French President Emmanuel Macron during their bilateral meeting Monday evening, according to a senior diplomatic source. The source described Trump as “going off” on EU trade during his meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Trump said that the EU had to open up …

France 24 reports: French President Emmanuel Macron called for “dialogue and multilateralism” to resolve the world’s crises in a speech at the UN Tuesday delivered minutes after US President Donald Trump blasted international “interference” in policy-making. “What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilised it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from …

The Telegraph reports: It was the week that Emmanuel Macron, the slick young French president who once said that he hoped to rule above the political fray like the Roman god Jupiter, was brutally reminded that he is, after all, a mere mortal. His top aides were grilled on live television and the opposition shut down Parliament. And to cap …

Newsweek reports: President Donald Trump’s warm relations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have now extended to the decoration of the White House, with photos of the two men’s historic meeting last week adorning the West Wing. And, in a move that symbolically resembles the president’s cooler relations with the United States’s chief allies, the photos of Trump and …

Talking Points Memo reports: Fellow G7 members responded harshly to President Donald Trump’s refusal to sign a previously agreed-upon joint statement authored by all seven nations at a summit this weekend, with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Sunday pointedly condemning Trump and his advisers’ “ad hominem attacks.” “We spent two days to obtain a text and commitments. We will …