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☆ France's far right looks headed for victory in the first round at the polls. Here's what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nurphoto | Getty ImagesWith just days to go until France's snap parliamentary election kicks off, victory for the far right looks increasingly likely in the first phase of the two-stage runoff. But predicting the outcome of France's final vote on July 7 is less clear-cut, given the complexity of France's voting system. Voter turnout for the national election is also expected to be larger — and therefore more representative — than the 51% who cast their ballot in the EU vote. With that in mind, analysts see a 30% to 40% chance of the National Rally winning the 289 seats needed to secure an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly. A majority government for either the far-right or the ultraleft alliance, meanwhile, could spark a far more dramatic outcome.

Persons: Jordan Bardella, Emmanuel Macron's, Schmieding, — Organizations: National, Palais des Sports, Nurphoto, Elabe, CNBC, Macron, National Rally, National Assembly, Berenberg Bank, Citi Locations: French, Le, Paris, France

☆ Markets fear the French far right could trigger a financial crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

President Emmanuel Macron called the snap elections Sunday after his party lost to the far right in a vote for EU lawmakers, a shock move that rattled markets for French stocks and government bonds. There has been widespread speculation since then that the National Rally, the party of far-right doyenne Marine Le Pen, is poised to become the most powerful force in parliament, unseating Macron’s centrist bloc. The risk of something similar happening in France is real, according to the country’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire. “This comes down to the (parties’) plans that are on the table, whether we can, yes or no, finance this debt,” Le Maire said. The National Rally has promised to raise public spending and slash VAT on electricity and fuel.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pen, ”, Truss, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, “, ” Le Maire, ’ jitters, Ludovic Marin, La Tribune Dimanche, Frank Gill, Moody’s, ” Joseph Ataman, Mark Thompson Organizations: London CNN —, EU, National, ‘, AAA, Getty Images Stock, haven’t, CNN, BFMTV, La Tribune, National Rally, European Central Bank, ECB Locations: France, ‘ France, French, Portugal, Europe, Italy, AFP, Paris, London

☆ How Jordan Bardella has helped give the far right an acceptable face in France
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Saskya Vandoorne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He’s poised to become the next prime minister if the French president loses his gamble in the upcoming snap election. Bardella, the National Rally party leader, grew up an only child in social housing in Seine-Saint-Denis, a working-class suburb in the northeast of Paris. Le Pen handpicked the young politician to head the party in 2022 – ending a 50-year-rule by the Le Pen dynasty – and bring a fresh boost to the French populist right. Le Pen, a self-described Bardella groupie, has said she’s always been a great admirer of his and that he shows great maturity. Bardella and Le Pen attend the National Rally party's Congress in Paris, France, November 5, 2022.

Persons: Jordan Bardella, Emmanuel Macron’s, He’s, Denis, ” Bardella, ”, Macron, Le Pen, Le, Marine’s, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Bardella, Jeff Pachoud, Dominique Moisi, “, relatable, Luc Mélenchon, Critics, Eric Ciotti, France’s, Pen, Bardella –, –, she’s, Christian Hartmann, Emma Leyo Organizations: Paris CNN —, National Rally, Sorbonne, France, National, Macron’s, BFMTV, Republicans, Rally party's Locations: French, Seine, Paris, France, AFP, East, Africa

The unrest in France is also likely tied to how some French people feel about the country’s political atmosphere more broadly. The National Rally also garnered the highest percentage support among France’s political parties in a mid-December poll. In 2022, nearly half of France’s immigrant population had been born in Africa, with the top source countries being Algeria and Morocco, according to INSEE. The French president said in December that the immigration law is “what the French wanted.” And at least one recent poll appears to echo this. And nearly three-quarters (73%) thought the law was inspired by the ideas of the National Rally party.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pen, –, Élisabeth Borne, Le Pen’s, Macron –, “, Macron Organizations: Republicans, National, Constitutional, Ministry, People, AP, Le, National Institute of Statistics, Economic Studies, National Rally Locations: France, Europe, Germany, Western Europe, Africa, Algeria, Morocco, North Africa

☆ Protesters prepare last-ditch bid to stop French pension overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Protests have been going on for six months, it's unprecedented," Sophie Binet, the new leader of the hardline CGT union said on BFM TV. "There's a lot of anger but also fatigue," she said, adding that strikers were feeling the pinch on paychecks. Between 400,000 and 600,000 people are expected to turn out at protests across France, authorities said, which would be down from more than a million who took part in marches at the height of the pension protests earlier this year. But unions hope a big protest turnout could pressure lawmakers into reviewing the bill anyway and holding a vote. Opposition lawmakers, meanwhile, say the bill being rejected would revive public anger, branding any such move "antidemocratic".

Persons: Emmanuel Macron's, Sophie Binet, I'm, Jean, Claude Mailly, Macron, Michel Rose, Hugh Lawson Organizations: CGT, Inter, SNCF, Thomson Locations: Macron, France, Paris, Orly

A successful no-confidence vote would fell the government and kill the legislation, which is set to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday called the votes "a moment of truth" for the government. Senior officials from the conservative Les Republicains (LR) party have said they will not get behind the no-confidence motions. Le Monde calculated that at least 26 LR lawmakers would need to back the motion for it to succeed. Even if the motions flop, Macron's failure to find enough support in parliament to put his pension system overhaul to a vote has undermined his reformist agenda and weakened his leadership, observers say.

☆ 'Let's bring France to a halt': Oil refineries blocked and trains halted by pension reform protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Christophe Archambault | Afp | Getty ImagesStrike action over plans to raise the pension age in France caused widespread disruption on Tuesday, as trains came to a near-standstill, many schools were shut and fuel deliveries were blocked from refineries. Lou Benoist | Afp | Getty ImagesEric Sellini, a representative from the CGT union at TotalEnergies, told Reuters that a strike blocking the Gonfreville refinery in Normandy would run until Thursday. Another at the Donges refinery in western France is set to run until Friday, he added. Sameer Al-doumy | Afp | Getty ImagesThe strikes come as French workers grapple with red-hot inflation, which accelerated unexpectedly in February to hit 6.2% year-on-year. Around two thirds of the public support protests against the pension reforms, according to an Elabe survey.

[1/6] French energy workers on strike gather with dockers near tyres set on fire as they protest against French government's pension reform plan, in the port of Saint-Nazaire, France, January 26, 2023. An Elabe poll for BFM showed 72% of the French are against the pension reform. "Oil workers are against this (pension) reform but they don't want to be on the front line," said a CGT union representative for Exxonmobil. A spokesperson for Esso, whose two French refinery sites are run by ExxonMobil (XOM.N), said only truck loading operations were suspended at Fos, with everything else operating normally. A union representative added that production at the Port Jerome site was slightly impacted.

The most likely scenario would see the government raising the retirement age to 64 from 62 currently. But polls show pension reform is unpopular. Some 47% want no change to the retirement age and 25% want retirement to be earlier than now. Macron had to put his first pension reform bid on ice in 2020 as the government rushed to contain the COVID outbreak and save the economy. Now, although recent strike action has been limited to specific sectors, such as refineries and airlines, outrage over pension reform could easily spark broader protests.

☆ The Columbus, Ohio, Warehouse Boom: How warehouses brought stifling dust and diesel fumes — and a chance for refugees to grab the American dream
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

What binds them, despite different nationalities, immigration stories, and languages, are warehouse jobs. As Columbus' warehouse development begins encroaching into residential areas, a consensus is gathering here — as it has elsewhere — that warehouses make for poor neighbors. Tariq Tarey for InsiderIn Canal Winchester, Halstead's efforts to put the question of warehouse development before voters were stymied. The town council bypassed her group's referendum by declaring a state of emergency to approve the warehouse development. There aren't clear lines between the winners and losers of Columbus' warehouse boom.

☆ Ле Пен будет баллотироваться на президентских выборах во Франции в 2022 году
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-10 | by ( Mld Media Srl | ) noi.md time to read: +1 min

Лидер партии «Национальное объединение» Марин Ле Пен заявила, что планирует баллотироваться на президентских выборах во Франции в 2022 году. Во втором туре президентских выборов в 2017 году Ле Пен проиграла действующему французскому лидеру Эммануэлю Макрону. «Поэтому я снова буду кандидатом на президентских выборах – в 2022 году», — подчеркнула Ле Пен, добавив, что проводимые опросы говорят о ее вероятной победе. Согласно данным опроса социологической службы Elabe, который был опубликован 11 марта, 43% граждан Франции считают, что Ле Пен может выиграть президентскую гонку в следующем году. Ранее Ле Пен заявила, что отношение Евросоюза к России, а также введенные против страны санкции являются исторической и геополитической ошибкой.

Persons: Марин Ле Пен, Ле Пен, Эммануэль Макрон Organizations: Reuters, Национальное объединение Locations: Франция, Евросоюз, Россия

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