May 22 French President Macron arrives in New Caledonia amid unrest, calls for independence By Thomas Adamson, Associated Press The president binned his previously announced schedule to make the journey of some 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) himself, stung into action by the most severe violence to hit New Caledonia since the 1980s. Continue reading
Mar 22 French President Macron regrets the Senate’s vote to reject the EU-Canada trade deal criticized by farmers By Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press The so-called CETA deal has been criticized by farmers as bringing unfair competition from abroad. It provisionally went into effect in September 2017 after all EU governments agreed to it, but its full implementation requires approval by each national parliament. Continue reading
Feb 28 French Senate approves a bill to make abortion a constitutional right, triggered by abortion restrictions in U.S. and some European countries By Sylvie Corbet, Barbara Surk, Associated Press The measure to enshrine a woman's right to an abortion in the French constitution was promised by President Emmanuel Macron following a rollback of abortion rights in in the United States. Continue reading
Feb 24 Protesting French farmers blame Macron for not doing enough to support agriculture By Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press Farmers have been protesting for months across France, including Paris, to demand better living conditions, simpler regulations and better protection against foreign competition they see as unfair. Continue reading
Feb 16 Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Paris signed security agreement with France after similar deal with Germany By Geir Moulson, Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press It's a signal of long-term support as Kyiv works to shore up Western support nearly two years after Russia launched its full-scale war. Continue reading
Jan 16 Macron announces missiles and bombs for Ukraine, suggests he could work with Trump By Sylvie Corbet, John Leicester, Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to deliver more long-range cruise missiles as well as bombs to Ukraine and suggested that he'd find ways to work with Donald Trump in the event that he wins another presidency. Continue reading
Jan 16 France’s Macron seeks to rejuvenate his presidency, says country has ‘all the aces to succeed’ By Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press The press conference is Macron's latest effort to reinvigorate his presidency after a series of bruising domestic battles, notably about France's retirement age and how to better control immigration. Continue reading
Jan 09 Gabriel Attal is France’s youngest-ever and first openly gay prime minister By Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press Gabriel Attal has been named as France's youngest-ever prime minister as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right. Continue reading
Dec 07 Paris marks 1 year till Notre Dame cathedral reopens to public after devastating fire By John Leicester, Associated Press On Friday, Notre Dame's rebirth from the devastating fire will hit a major milestone. It will begin the last year of repair work before the cathedral reopens its huge doors to the public on Dec. 8, 2024. Continue reading
Nov 09 French President Macron begins Gaza aid conference by appealing to Israel for protection of civilians By Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron has opened a Gaza aid conference with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians, saying that "all lives have equal worth" and that fighting terrorism "can never be carried out without rules."… Continue reading