Versailles, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron on Monday promised a “profound transformation” of French politics, proposing to slash by a third the number of MPs, and telling lawmakers he would call a referendum if they do not agree. In his first address to members of the National Assembly …
Read More »Macron stumbles at EU summit over Chinese investments
Brussels, Belgium |AFP | EU leaders on Friday poured cold water on a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron to hand Brussels more powers to control Chinese investments in strategic European industries. European leaders discussed the divisive topic on the second day of an EU summit in Brussels, as Europe …
Read More »Macron: France’s youngest president resets French politics
Paris, France | AFP | He’s the man with the Midas touch — and French President Emmanuel Macron proved it again Sunday when his party secured a huge parliamentary election giving him a free hand to push through his programme. Just four weeks after taking office and 14 months after …
Read More »Rwanda-born Berville is French MP as Macron secures majority
Rwanda-born Berville is MP as Macron marches to clear majority in French parliament Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party swept to a large majority in parliamentary elections on Sunday, although it fell short of a predicted landslide. Macron’s year-old Republique en Marche (Republic on the …
Read More »ANALYSIS: ‘Macron-mania’ prompts talk of herd mentality
Paris, France | AFP | The theory has been aired several times over the last week: French voters are so desperate for change and for new President Emmanuel Macron to succeed that they are blindly electing his party’s candidates to parliament. Polls suggest that Macron’s Republic on the Move (REM) …
Read More »Macron in Morocco to discuss Libya, Qatar
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron was in Morocco Wednesday on a 24-hour visit for talks on battling terrorism as well as the Libyan conflict and Qatar’s dispute with its Gulf neighbours. As he stepped off the plane for his first visit to Morocco since his election …
Read More »At least 20 casualties in London ‘terrorist’ attack
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A van ploughed into pedestrians and several people were stabbed in central London on Saturday, leaving at least 20 casualties in what police called a “terrorist” attack days before a general election. Armed police opened fire during two “terrorist incidents” at London Bridge and …
Read More »HANDSHAKE: Macron unshaken by Trump power grip
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Diplomacy can be a white-knuckle ride at times, but French President Emmanuel Macron refused to be shaken when he found himself in an unexpected standoff with US counterpart Donald Trump Thursday. Former reality TV star Trump is known to make visitors flinch with a strong …
Read More »Rwandan for French parliament
The party of Frances new president unveils a Rwandan-born economist as candidate in polls French president-elect Emmanuel Macron’s party on May 11 unveiled more than 400 candidates who will stand in parliamentary elections in June, with half of them newcomers to politics and half of them women. It includes Herve …
Read More »Macron visits French troops in Mali’s restive north
Gao, Mali | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron visited French troops fighting jihadists in conflict-torn Mali on Friday and urged faster progress on a peace accord signed in 2015. At the end of his first week in office, Macron flew into Gao, a city in Mali’s deeply-troubled north, where he …
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