Displaying items by tag: France

Thursday, 06 February 2020 22:28

France: protests continue

Doctors and lawyers marched in Paris on 3 February, demonstrating against President Macron's pension reforms. It is the latest in a wave of protests against Macron's signature reform, streamlining France's complex and expensive pension system that allows some French workers to retire as young as 50. It has led to more than sixty days of strikes and protests by many different people, including transport workers, women's groups, and those in the tourism and energy sectors. These protests have seen tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower closed, and electricity and gas cut off by workers at energy plants. Macron hopes he can force his reform through parliament this month. Prime minister Edouard Philippe will negotiate with unions from 10 February to make the new retirement system financially sustainable.

Published in Europe

France, Germany, and Britain have told the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the Security Council resolution. A letter from those countries, plus Russia, China, and the USA, stated that the development of such missiles was inconsistent with the resolution endorsing a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and urged Tehran not to pursue activity related to such missiles. Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the letter ‘a desperate falsehood to cover up European countries' miserable incompetence in fulfilling their commitments to the nuclear deal. He said, ‘If Britain, France, and Germany want a modicum of global credibility, they can begin by exerting sovereignty rather than bowing to US bullying.’ Pray for Iran’s church leaders amid the upheaval. They are praying that God will give them strategies to use the current unrest to advance His kingdom.

Published in Worldwide

The French government and a key trade union on Sunday exchanged bitter accusations over who was to blame for France’s over three-week transport strike against pension reforms, as the stalemate showed little sign of relenting.

Deputy Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari accused the hardline CGT union of a “systematic opposition to any reform” while the union’s chief Philippe Martinez charged the government with strewing “chaos” in the conflict.

The strike—now longer than the notorious 22-day strike of winter 1995 -- has lasted 25 days and is on course to surpass the longest transport strike in France, which lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987.

Aside from two driverless lines, the Paris metro was again almost completely shut down on Sunday while only a fraction of high-speed TGV trains were running.

The government and unions are only due to hold their next talks on January 7, two days ahead of a new day of mass demonstrations against the reform, which is championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

In an interview with the Journal de Dimanche newspaper, Djebbari angrily accused the CGT of “attitudes of intimidation, harassment and even aggression” against railway workers who had opted not to down tools.

He accused the CGT of showing a “systematic opposition to any reform, of blocking and sometimes intimidation”.

“The CGT wants to make its mark through media stunts. But the French are not going to be duped by the extreme-left politicisation of this movement,” he added.

‘Like Thatcher’

But in an interview with the same newspaper, Martinez accused the government of trying to ensure the conflict deteriorated further.

“Emmanuel Macron presents himself as a man of a new world but he is imitating Margaret Thatcher,” he said, referring to the late British prime minister who sought to break the power of the unions in 1980s standoffs.

“There is real anger. Of course, not being paid for 24 days is tough. But the conflict is the result of two-and-a-half years of suffering,” Martinez added.

He said he was awaiting concessions from Macron in a New Year’s address Tuesday evening as well as recognition that “most people are not happy and that he (the president) was wrong”.

The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system.  The overhaul would see workers in certain sectors—including the railways—lose early retirement benefits. The government says the pension overhaul is needed to create a fairer system.  But workers object to the inclusion of a so-called pivot age of 64 until which people would have to work to earn a full pension—two years beyond the official retirement age.

With thanks to (AFP)

More at: https://www.france24.com/en/20191230-france-french-strike-transport-transit-union-trade-macron-thatcher-government-ratp-sncf-cgt-martinez-djebbari-opera

Pray: for talks and conciliation negotiations to be successful.
Pray: that demonstrations and marches will remain peaceful and will not escalate into civil unrest.
Pray: that the growing public anger can be defused quickly - at the highest level.
Pray: that France shall be saved.

Thursday, 12 December 2019 23:32

France: Russia / Ukraine peace talks

13,000 people have died since fighting began between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian soldiers in 2014. On 10 December 2019 Russia and Ukraine made progress towards restoring peace in eastern Ukraine, at a Paris summit mediated by Germany and France. A joint communique stated, ‘The sides commit to a full and comprehensive implementation of a cease-fire, strengthened by the implementation of all necessary support measures, before the end of the year 2019’. A prisoner exchange was also agreed. Angela Merkel said the meeting gave renewed momentum to reviving a 2015 Minsk peace agreement that had stalled. Please pray that nothing will prevent the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the restoration of Kyiv's control over its borders, and wider autonomy plus local elections for the separatist regions. The last time the four national leaders gathered in this format was in 2016.

Published in Europe
Friday, 01 November 2019 00:02

France: secularism sowing hatred and division

Religion is again at the forefront of French public debate. After an 84-year-old former far-right candidate fired shots at a mosque in Bayonne, Emmanuel Macron evoked the French concept of ‘laïcité’ in a speech at the inauguration of a European Centre for Judaism. Defined as the concept of separation of church and state, it has also been at the centre of debates about wearing religious symbols in public. Macron said, ‘Laïcité is a tenet of fraternity that should live in each French person like a compass in their relationship to other citizens - that is essentially a form of French civility. I want to recall it at this moment in our nation's history, where these values of unity and cohesiveness are sometimes distorted and used by those who, seeking to sow hatred and division, use it to fight against this or that religion.’

Published in Europe
Friday, 25 October 2019 09:51

Europe’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia

European countries temporarily halted arms exports to Turkey after its military incursion into Syria. But Europe’s other arms trading partner, Saudi Arabia, has caused deaths or injuries of 18,000 in Yemen, where 24.1 million need humanitarian assistance. Despite these figures, EU countries still have arms deals with the Saudis. The UK only halted arms exports in June after exports licences were found to be unlawful. Saudi Arabia was France's second-biggest weapons client last year: over €1 billion worth, including armoured vehicles used in or near Yemen. Only Spain suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia, citing ‘use of this type of armament against a civilian population’. Why would EU countries halt arms to Turkey due to conflict, but not to Saudi Arabia for the same reasons? There could be several reasons, but two stand out - business and alliances.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 26 September 2019 22:17

France: protests continue

Protests against President Macron and globalisation, neoliberalism, corruption, labour code reform and high taxes have been happening weekly by the ‘yellow vest’ movement since 17 November 2018. They have attracted hundreds of thousands of people across France - constructing barricades, lighting fires, breaking windows, and blocking roads in a choreography of street demonstrations amongst fumes of the various gases and car explosions / fires. Black Bloc activists added violence to the yellow-vest protest march, and 120 arrests were made by police. In January 2019 counter-demonstrators emerged, identified by their red scarves, denouncing the rebellious climate and verbal abuse created by yellow vests. Each Saturday there are also anti-Semitic expressions by extreme groups of radical Islamist or anti-Zionist and on 20 September climate change and pension reform caused disruption elsewhere in the French capital.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 12 September 2019 22:32

France: Macron ally corruption probe

The National Assembly president Richard Ferrand, a close ally of President Macron, was put under formal investigation in a financial impropriety case. In a statement on 12 September the assembly said that Ferrand, who denies any wrongdoing, would defend himself and was confident the case would be dropped. The previous day he was questioned at length by investigating judges. The situation is an embarrassment for Macron, and could bring renewed scrutiny to his promise to clean up French politics. Under French law, being put under formal investigation means there is ‘serious or consistent evidence’ that points to probable involvement in a crime. Ferrand was investigated for fraud before, and at that time he resigned as a minister. The latest probe relates, like the previous one, to his management of a health insurance company in Brittany.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 22 August 2019 23:09

France: G7 summit (24-26 August)

The 2019 G7 summit in Biarritz will focus on fighting inequality. The following five objectives will be discussed, and we can pray that they will be acted on: a) inequality of opportunity, promoting in particular gender equality, access to education, and high quality health services; b) reducing environmental inequality by protecting our planet through climate finance and a fair ecological transition, preserving biodiversity and the oceans; c) strengthening social dimensions of globalisation through more equitable trade, tax and development policies; d) action for peace against security threats and terrorism; e) tapping into the opportunities created by digital technology and artificial intelligence. Pray for all those participating in the summit: may God rule and reign in every discussion and decision made. See also the article on African wildlife and timber in the world section.

Published in Europe
Thursday, 25 July 2019 23:20

France: frosty welcome for Greta

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered an address to lawmakers at France’s national assembly. But some right-wing MPs chose to stay away, saying that to fight climate change ‘we need scientific progress and political courage, not apocalyptic gurus’, and ‘Don't count on me to applaud a prophetess in shorts, a Nobel Prize for Fear.’ Greta noted that some lawmakers had not attended and said, ‘That's fine. We are, after all, just children. You don't have to listen to us. But you do have to listen to the scientists, unite behind the science.’ On 25 July, she released a music track calling for civil disobedience while ambient instrumentals provided background music that would appeal to teens. See

Published in Europe