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☆ The Olympics brought rare unity to France. Now back to the political games.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alexander Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

PARIS — It’s 1:00 a.m. on the banks of the Canal de Saint-Denis and the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony finished an hour ago. But the political and social turmoil France faced before a ghostly metal horse galloped down the Seine has not gone away. French President Emmanuel Macron at the Paris Olympic Games. The French president could easily have been giving his view on France’s immediate political future when discussing the rain-drenched opening ceremony with NBC News. Optimism aside, analysts believe the country faces years of deadlock that could end with a far-right president in 2027.

Persons: Denis, Sara Zinger, Mary Mathurin, France's Leon Marchand, Dar Yasin, Emmanuel Macron, Pascal Le Segretain, Macron, Macron’s, Rainbow Murray, they’ve, Murray, Le Pen, Lady Gaga —, Le, Maxime Jourdan, Marine Le Pen, Charles Platiau, who’s, it’s, Rene Nijhuis, Paris Mayor Anne, Marie Hidalgo, France’s Le, Alain Jocard, Hector Gore Organizations: PARIS, Stade de France, Marine, Paris Olympic, NBC, Queen Mary University of London, Rally, Olympics, Olympic, BSR Agency, Getty, Eiffel, Concorde, triathletes, Paris Mayor, France’s Le Figaro, Metro, Paris Games, French, Square, Games Locations: Saint, Parisian, hipsters, France, Paris, Europe, Seine, Montmartre, AFP

☆ Celine Dion to return to stage for performance at Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Dan Heching | Pauline Lockwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Celine Dion is set to make her return to the stage at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Dion will close the ceremony on Friday with a performance from the first stage of the Eiffel Tower, singing a timeless classic, Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour”. Dion, 56, announced in December 2022 that she was taking time off from professional commitments to focus on her health after revealing her diagnosis. Lady Gaga performs in Paris, France, ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday. In her documentary, Dion said she was determined to make her return to performing.

Persons: Celine Dion, Dion, Edith Piaf’s “, entertainer’s, ”, Lady Gaga, Zizi Jeanmaire, France’s, Luca Bruno, Celine Dion ”, NBC’s, Kotb, “, Lisa Respers France, Alli Rosenbloom Organizations: CNN, Eiffel, National Institute of Neurological Disorders, AP Locations: Paris, London, England, “, France

☆ Macron Rejects French Left’s Pick for Prime Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A coalition of France’s left-wing parties on Tuesday tapped a little-known civil servant to be prime minister, unexpectedly ending weeks of bickering after snap parliamentary elections plunged the country into political gridlock. But President Emmanuel Macron immediately rejected the coalition’s pick, Lucie Castets. The French president alone has the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet. His choice must, theoretically, reflect the political balance in Parliament, but there is no constitutionally mandated deadline for him to choose. The left-wing coalition, known as the New Popular Front, said in a statement that it had agreed on Ms. Castets, 37, who has worked at France’s treasury and its anti-money-laundering unit and currently handles financial matters at Paris City Hall.

Persons: France’s, Emmanuel Macron, Lucie Castets, Macron, Castets Organizations: Paris, Paris City Hall

☆ What’s Left for France’s Left?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a left-wing coalition came first this month in France’s parliamentary elections and upended a predicted victory for the far right, supporters filled the streets. “The left has awakened,” a supporter said. Almost immediately after their victory, the parties in the coalition started fighting among themselves. “It’s going to be hard,” said Zahia Hamdane of France Unbowed, the far-left party of the firebrand leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, on Friday. “I took it very badly yesterday.”The alliance of four left-wing parties — Communists, Socialists, Greens and France Unbowed — was hastily pulled together after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for snap elections last month.

Persons: ”, “, “ It’s, Zahia, Jean, Luc Mélenchon, France Unbowed —, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: National Assembly, Communists, Socialists, Greens Locations: France

☆ Opinion: In French election, voters save the Republic from the far right. Now comes the (really) hard part
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Opinion Marie Le Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance came in second, preventing the far right from taking power. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and it is hard to overstate the sense of urgency with which French voters flocked to the polls. It ought to be noted, however, that under half of centrist voters went for the left in a run-off against the far right. Many had assumed that it was a foregone conclusion that the far right would win a majority, absolute or otherwise. On all those occasions, and again last week, many held their noses and voted for the center to keep the far right in check.

Persons: Marie Le Conte, Read, —, Emmanuel Macron’s, who’d, Le Pen Organizations: CNN, Front, Greens, Ensemble, National Assembly, Rassemblement, Twitter, Facebook Locations: French, Moroccan, London, British, Vichy, France

☆ Euro and French stocks subdued as France plunged into political limbo
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —French stocks and government bonds struggled to find direction Monday following surprise results in France’s parliamentary elections, which saw left-wing parties outperform the far right Sunday, leaving the country’s parliament facing gridlock. The yield, or return sought by investors, on benchmark 10-year bonds rose by a fraction of a percentage point to 3.22% by 8.09 a.m. But the premium traders demand to hold French bonds instead of the ultra-safe German equivalents was lower on the day. However, it was still a lot higher than before French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap elections on June 9. The value of the currency, which is shared by 19 other countries in the EU, has swung wildly since June 9.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, France’s, “, ”, Holger Schmieding, “ unaffordable, Schmieding, Hanna Ziady Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Rabobank, EU Locations: gridlock, Europe’s, “, France, Paris, —

☆ Euro and French stocks subdued despite France’s political limbo
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —French stocks and government bonds struggled to find direction Monday following surprise results in France’s parliamentary elections, which saw left-wing parties outperform the far right, leaving the country’s parliament facing gridlock. The yield on benchmark 10-year bonds rose by a fraction of a percentage point to 3.21% by 6.37 a.m. But the premium traders demand to hold French bonds instead of the ultra-safe German equivalents was lower on the day. However, it was still a lot higher than before French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap elections on June 9. France’s left-wing alliance came in first after the vote Sunday, while the far right trailed in third place in a shocking reversal of first-round results.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, France’s, “, ” Organizations: London CNN, Rabobank, European Union Locations: gridlock, France, Paris

☆ 5 Takeaways From France’s Snap Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Adam Nossiter | Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

France’s left-wing parties surged unexpectedly in nationwide legislative elections on Sunday, denying the nationalist, anti-immigration National Rally party a majority in the lower house of Parliament. But no party appeared on track to secure an absolute majority, leaving one of Europe’s largest countries headed for gridlock or political instability. The results were compiled by The New York Times using data from the Interior Ministry, and they confirmed earlier projections showing that no single party or bloc would win a majority. Here are five takeaways from the election. 1There were two big surprises as France voted for a new Parliament in snap elections, neither one foreseen by pundits, pollsters or prognosticators.

Persons: France’s Organizations: Rally, The New York Times, Interior Ministry Locations: France

☆ France’s left-wing coalition thwarts far right in parliamentary run-off vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFrance’s left-wing coalition thwarts far right in parliamentary run-off voteFrench risk assets are being closely watched after a major upset for the far-right in Sunday's vote. CNBC's Dan Murphy and Silvia Amaro discuss.

Persons: France’s, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Silvia Amaro

☆ Analysis: Macron’s gamble has kept the far right out of power, but plunged France into chaos
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Jerome Taylor | Analysis Sakya Vandoorne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The bloc brings together five different parties. Far-left France Unbowed and the Communist party has joined with the center-left parties, the socialists and the greens to form a New Popular Front. It’s equally hard to imagine how the current constellation would allow France to play an important role regarding Ukraine. The left has remained relatively quiet on Ukraine - different parties from the coalition have slightly different stances - France Unbowed is against what it calls “escalation” with Russia. Macron’s gamble may have prevented the far right from coming to power, but it could yet plunge the country into chaos.

Persons: CNN — “, Emmanuel Macron, France’s, Jordan Bardella, Macron, Le Pen, it’s Organizations: CNN, la Republique, NFP, France Unbowed, Communist, National Assembly Locations: la, Paris, France, Ukraine, Macron, Russia, Macron’s

☆ Le Pen promises French far-right will rein in aid to Ukraine, slams soccer star Mbappé
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Le Pen: Mbappé not representativeLe Pen directed most of her ire closer to home. “I’m not contesting the existence of these comments,” Le Pen said, referring to the accusations levelled against her candidates. Top of the list of sensitivities is likely to be foreign policy, where Le Pen and Macron rarely see eye to eye. Many held similar suspicions ahead of the election of hard-right culture warrior Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2022. “It’s a form of interference, and in that sense, I find it unacceptable,” Le Pen said of the post.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron’s, Emmanuel Macron, ”, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Kylian Mbappé, Le Pen, Macron, Le, Jordan Bardella, CAESAR, Roman Pilpey, Pen, Mbappé, “, ” Mbappé, “ It’s, Kylian, Franck Fife, ” Le Pen, Bardella, CNN Le, Florent de Kersauson, Daniel Grenon, Grenon, “ I’m, “ That’s, Francois Lo Presti, Vladimir Putin, She’s, Putin, Giorgia Meloni, she’s Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, Macron, soccer side’s, Ukraine, National Rally, National Assembly, National, 55th Artillery Brigade, Getty, CNN Le Pen’s, BFMTV, Kyiv, ” Locations: Ukraine, Russia, France’s, Donetsk, AFP, Washington, Kyiv, France, Paris, Hamburg, Germany, Algeria, Cameroon, United States, Brittany, “, ”, Henin, Beaumont, Brussels, Crimea, 2014, Russian, Italian, There’s, Moscow

☆ Who is Jordan Bardella and what might his far-right party do in power?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Handpicked as leader by National Rally (RN) doyenne Marine Le Pen in an effort to purge the far-right party of its racist and antisemitic roots, Bardella has taken it closer to the gates of power than ever before. Whether the RN forms a government and Bardella becomes prime minister after the July 7 runoff is not clear. So, who is Bardella, and what might his party do in power? Le Pen and Bardella address a crowd of RN supporters in Paris, after Macron called a snap election, June 9, 2024. When the prime minister and president belong to different parties – in a rare arrangement known as “cohabitation” – things can grind to a halt.

Persons: CNN — Jordan, –, Bardella, Emmanuel Macron’s, France’s, Denis, Le Pen, Le Pen’s, Louis Aliot, Le, Macron, Julien De Rosa, Freed, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Franco, Paris Anne Hidalgo, Luc Mélenchon, ” Bardella, Julien de Rosa, Gabriel Attal, ” Mujtaba Rahman, Mario Draghi, Giorgia Meloni, Benito Mussolini, Matteo Salvini, Vladimir Putin, Antonio Masiello, Hungary’s Viktor Orban –, Macron – Organizations: CNN, National Rally, National Assembly, Front, Sorbonne university, Getty, Macron’s Ensemble, Immigrants, Ministry of, Armed Forces, New Popular Front, EU, Eurasia Group, European Union Locations: Paris, France, Europe, Seine, Macron, AFP, Vichy, Spanish, Brussels, Italy, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia

☆ Opinion: Why Gérard Depardieu hasn’t been ‘canceled’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Opinion Caroline Séquin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Accusers stepped forward in 2018, as the #MeToo movement was taking off. Victims of sexual violence, consequently, often say they feel less isolated than they used to. Join us on Twitter and FacebookThere is, perhaps, one way in which the detractors of the #MeToo movement have a point. All of them — colleagues, neighbors or blood relations — more often than not, are able to maintain their status and privilege of their professions, despite allegations of sexual violence. It remains unclear whether the French will at long last “cancel” Gérard Depardieu, even if one or both trials find him guilty of sexual violence.

Persons: Caroline Séquin, ”, Gérard Depardieu, Caroline Sequin, Depardieu, Jacques Chirac, “ Depardieu, —, Le Figaro, it’s, ” Depardieu, Emmanuel Macron, “ I’m, he’s, …, ” Macron, Carla Bruni, Nicolas Sarkozy, Harvey Weinstein’s, Sandra Muller, “, she’s, Le, Catherine Deneuve, men’s, that’s, MeToo, Camille Kouchner’s, ” Gérard Depardieu Organizations: Lafayette College, CNN, CNN —, Legion, Mediapart, France, Le Monde, French Interior Ministry, Twitter Locations: Easton , Pennsylvania, France, French, Colonial Senegal, CNN — France, United States, Familia Grande

☆ Opinion: Paris’ bedbug bedlam
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He formerly was a foreign correspondent for The New York Times and Paris correspondent for CBS News. But conquering the city’s bedbug infestation, too, could prove to be an Olympian challenge. The deputy mayor of Paris has also asked Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne to take it on. A French government survey found that at least 11% of all French households reported having a bedbug infestation between 2017 and 2022. The tried-and-true solution to combating bedbugs is as old as Paris itself.

Persons: David A, CNN —, David Andelman, Élisabeth Borne, Borne, they’re, ”, Mathilde Panot, bedbugs, ” Panot, who’d, Anne Hidalgo, Emmanuel Gregoire, implore Borne, Gregoire, Hidalgo, they’ve, Charles de Gaulle, Jean, Michel Berenger, Dior, Mayra Peralta, “, Rue de Solferino, you’ve Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Maison, Legion, French Socialist Party, David Andelman CNN, Paris, bedbugs, Metro, Paris’s, French National, France Insoumise, Paralympic, EnVi Media, PUNAISES RUE DE, Rue de Locations: Paris, Paris’s, France, Seine, Le, “, Rue

☆ Siemens is case study in China de-risking dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

That’s unsettling for the likes of Siemens, $62 billion carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and $39 billion chemicals group BASF (BASFn.DE). Factor in the German group’s 32% stake in Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) and 75% holding in Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE), currently worth 46 billion euros, and it adds up to 156 billion euros. The unit and Siemens’ Airport Logistics unit, which press reports say could be another divestment candidate, may only be worth 4 billion euros combined. Moreover, Kaeser already tried to boost Siemens’ valuation by partially spinning off subsidiaries. As of September, Siemens had bought back 2.5 billion euros of shares since starting a 3 billion euro share repurchase programme in November 2021.

Persons: Roland Busch, France’s Legrand, Busch, Joe Kaeser, he’s, Kaeser, Germany’s Bundesbank, Siemens, Goldman Sachs, Judith Wiese, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Siemens, Germany’s, Barclays, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Volkswagen, BASF, Software, Dassault, Automation, ABB, Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Energy, Siemens ’ Mobility, France’s Alstom, CRRC Corporation, Siemens ’ Airport Logistics, Siemens Healthineers, Toshiba Corp, Energy, BNP, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: China, Brussels, Beijing, Germany, EMEA, Swiss, Middle Kingdom, Republic, Shenzhen, Sichuan, Chengdu, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand

☆ Emmanuelle Béart, 'Mission: Impossible' star, reveals she was victim of incest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —French film actress Emmanuelle Béart has revealed that she was a victim of incest, continuing a national reckoning with child sexual abuse in France. Béart tells her story as part of the documentary, “Un silence si bruyant” (“Such a loud silence”), which she co-directed. Mikova went on to say that Béart did not want to name her abuser for “family reasons.”Beart played Claire Phelps in the film "Mission: Impossible" (1996). Let’s break the silence.”The issue of incest and child sexual abuse has come to fore in France in recent years after an accusation in a prominent family prompted a national reckoning. “Being subjected to personal attacks, and in an attempt to preserve the institutions in which I work, I terminate my functions,” Duhamel wrote on Twitter shortly after the accusations surfaced.

Persons: Emmanuelle Béart, Manon, Béart, Anastasia Mikova, –, Guy Béart –, Mikova, ” Beart, Claire Phelps, Murray, “, ”, ” Béart, Elle, Charlotte Caubel, Camille Kouchner, Olivier Duhamel, Duhamel, ” Duhamel, BFMTV Organizations: CNN, Sciences Po, Twitter, Reuters Locations: French, France, “, Socialist, Paris

☆ French Journalists Call Off Strike, Failing to Block ‘Far-Right’ Editor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Liz Alderman | More About Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Journalists at France’s leading Sunday newspaper announced Tuesday that they were ending one of the longest media strikes in recent French history, but they predicted that dozens might resign to protest the appointment of an editor with a far-right track record as the new editor in chief. Staff members said they had little choice but to work with the new leadership or leave their jobs. The new editor, Geoffroy Lejeune, who formerly led a far-right French magazine that was fined for publishing racist insults, was scheduled to take up his new post on Tuesday. Word of his appointment at The JDD, as the paper is known, had ignited a firestorm in French media and political circles, raising concerns that a major mainstream news outlet could be transformed into a right-wing platform. Before the uproar, about 100 journalists worked at the Paris paper.

Persons: Vincent Bolloré, Geoffroy Lejeune Organizations: France’s, Sunday, Le, Staff Locations: Paris

☆ A French Newsroom on Strike After Appointment of ‘Far-Right’ Editor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In its 75-year history, Le Journal du Dimanche, France’s leading Sunday newspaper, has almost never missed publication. But its operations ground to a halt this week after an editor with a far-right track record was abruptly appointed just ahead of a takeover of the paper by the French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, prompting a mass walkout by journalists and igniting a firestorm in French media and political circles. Mr. Bolloré, an industrialist often described as France’s Rupert Murdoch, has been steadily building a conservative media empire, anchored by a Fox-style news network, CNews. The appointment of the editor, Geoffroy Lejeune, who was formerly at a far-right magazine that was fined for racist insults, raised concerns that one of France’s most prominent newspapers could be transformed into a right-wing platform. The paper did not publish Sunday, only the second time since its founding in 1948, and on Thursday evening the website was still leading with news from last week.

Persons: France’s, Vincent Bolloré, Bolloré, Rupert Murdoch, Geoffroy Lejeune, ”, Lejeune Organizations: Fox, France’s, Journalists Locations: France, Le Monde

The most recent innovation has been tamer: People have banged pots whenever the president has appeared. Indeed, France’s labor unions — though representing a smaller share of the work force than elsewhere in Western Europe — have been united in their opposition, making them a redoubtable force. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who leads the left-wing coalition NUPES, has been a central figure in the parliamentary fight against Mr. Macron, nearly bringing down his government with a no-confidence vote in March. And yet it is not France’s left that has benefited from the popular rebellion. In a situation that seems tailor-made for a resurgence of the left, how is it that, for the moment at least, it is not just the right but the far right that has benefited?

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.

☆ Kylian Mbappé continues record-setting pace in France’s World Cup round of 16 victory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The team booked its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Poland. But, the star of the show on Sunday was Kylian Mbappé, who continued his record-setting pace with an emphatic double. France's Olivier Giroud celebrates with Kylian Mbappé after scoring the opening goal against Poland at the 2022 World Cup. Having helped secure the nation’s second World Cup title in 2018 as a 19-year-old, he is continuing his domination four years later. Both Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo have eight World Cup goals to their names.

☆ French far-right party chooses 27-year-old to replace Marine Le Pen as leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Bardella, 27, won an internal party vote with 85% support, marking a symbolic changing of the guard at the resurgent National Rally party. Marine Le Pen is still expected to wield significant power in the party’s leadership and run again for France’s presidency in 2027. Le Pen said Bardella’s main challenge will be pursuing the party “roadmap” of taking power in France. Bardella had been the interim president of the National Rally since Le Pen entered the presidential race last year. Le Pen lost to French President Emmanuel Macron on her third presidential bid in April but earned her highest score yet.

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