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☆ French Lawmakers Vote to Enshrine Abortion Rights in Constitution
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

French lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in France’s Constitution, the first step in a complex legislative process that began in direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called the vote a “great victory.”Unlike in the United States, most of France’s political parties broadly support the right to abortion, which was legalized in 1975, and there is no immediate or serious threat to its legality. Putting that right into the Constitution would not change the availability of abortion in France, where both residents and foreigners can terminate pregnancies. But the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health overturning the constitutional right to an abortion set off alarm bells in Europe and galvanized efforts in France to protect the right as inalienable. Activists have also made the case that abortion rights are increasingly under threat in European countries like Poland and Italy, making it all the more urgent to enshrine it in France in case future governments try to roll it back.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Emmanuel Macron, Gabriel Attal Organizations: U.S, National Assembly, Jackson Locations: France’s Constitution, U.S ., United States, France, Dobbs v, Europe, Poland, Italy

☆ Top Council Rejects Much of France’s Tough Immigration Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

France’s Constitutional Council struck down large chunks of a tough new immigration law on Thursday, in a widely expected ruling that said many measures that were added by President Emmanuel Macron’s government under right-wing pressure were unlawful. The nine-member council, which reviews legislation to ensure that it conforms to the Constitution, said in a statement that it had partially or completely struck down over a third of the 86 articles in the law, which was passed in December — including restrictions on foreigners’ access to government subsidies, limitations on the reunification of migrant families and the creation of yearly immigration quotas set by Parliament. Overhauling France’s immigration rules was one of Mr. Macron’s second-term priorities, and under ordinary circumstances, the council’s decision could be seen as a stinging rebuke. The French leader had called the new law a necessary “shield” to deal with the pressure of migrants illegally entering the country. But because of the way the law came to pass and the nature of the measures that were rejected, Thursday’s ruling may paradoxically give Mr. Macron some relief.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron’s, Macron’s, Thursday’s Organizations: France’s Constitutional Locations: France’s

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

☆ France pension protests explained: France is still mad -- but can the protests last?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In 1995, weeks-long mass protests forced the government of the day to abandon plans to reform public sector pensions. For many in France, the pensions system, as with social support more generally, is viewed as the bedrock of the state’s responsibilities and relationship with its citizens. Nathan Laine/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesIn contrast, during the Yellow Vest protests, started in opposition to hikes in fuel prices, violence gradually soured public support. That these pensions protests continue to hold such popular goodwill is an ominous sign for Macron’s future plans. The size and violence of pensions protests spiked when Macron forced the legislation past the country’s lower legislative house without a vote.

☆ Macron Wins Approval to Raise France’s Retirement Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Noemie Bisserbe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension-overhaul plans have left his parliamentary ranks in disarray. PARIS—President Emmanuel Macron ’s plan to raise the country’s retirement age cleared the final hurdle to becoming law with the approval of France’s Constitutional Council, providing relief to his embattled government after a monthslong battle with unions and millions of protesters. The court’s nine judges ruled that Mr. Macron’s government didn’t violate the constitution in passing the legislation in March.

☆ Macron: France's 'tone deaf' president faces backlash over Taiwan comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In it, he said that Europe must not become “just America’s followers” when asked about the prospect of China invading Taiwan. One said that Macron is “simply tone deaf to everything happening in the world. They were surprised to see Macron’s comments so soon after that meeting. For all that Macron’s comments could be put down to a president under pressure at home doing things on the world stage to create a distraction, his comments on Taiwan have done real damage to the fragile transatlantic relationship. It might not have been his intention, but Macron’s comments have come at a yet unknown cost.

☆ Macron Government Bypasses France’s National Assembly to Pass Pension Overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Noemie Bisserbe | Stacy Meichtry | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—The government of French President Emmanuel Macron invoked a special provision of France’s constitution Thursday to bypass parliament and increase the country’s retirement age, an act of defiance that escalates the leader’s standoff with street protesters and opposition lawmakers. The use of Article 49 of the French constitution allows the Macron government to enact a contentious overhaul of France’s pension system after it struggled to cobble together enough votes in Parliament. But the maneuver comes at a high political price: Protesters and opposition parties that have painted Mr. Macron as an authoritarian now have more ammunition to mobilize the masses.

From September this year, the regular retirement age will increase by three months a year until 2030. The higher retirement age should tackle a pension funding deficit, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne told reporters on Tuesday as she laid out the reforms. Revamping the pensions system has been a key element of French President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaigns. In the United States and the United Kingdom, the retirement age is between 66 and 67, depending on the year in which you were born. An earlier attempt by Macron to revamp the pensions system was met with nationwide strikes in 2019 before being abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ Macron Government Overrides France’s National Assembly to Pass Budget
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Noemie Bisserbe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron ’s government invoked rarely used powers Wednesday to override the National Assembly on a crucial budget vote, placing its pro-business agenda on a collision course with parliament. The Macron government’s decision to invoke Article 49 of France’s constitution allowed it to bypass parliament and pass a budget bill for 2023. The move, howevever, collided with Mr. Macron’s pledge to govern as a consensus builder after losing his majority in June in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

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