Tag Archives: President Emmanuel Macron

Lifestyle

“Russia doesn’t want a ceasefire”, says French president Macron

Maravi Post Reporter

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that “the last few hours have shown that Russia doesn’t want a ceasefire.”

Russia and Ukraine were holding their first direct peace talks in three years, in the Turkish port city of Istanbul, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.

“We must push towards this path and build a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” Macron told leaders gathered for a summit of the European Political Community.

Speaking in Albania, Macron also urged leaders from across Europe to unite to combat economic challenges from outside, including the Trump administration’s tariffs.

“We would be much stronger if we coordinated, with a market of 700 million residents and consumers,” he said.

The sixth European Political Community summit kicked off on Friday under the theme “‘New Europe in a new world: unity – cooperation – joint action”.

47 heads of state and government have been invited to the summit taking place in Albania’s capital Tirana.

Source: Africanews

Lifestyle

France Expels Algerian diplomats amid escalating tensions

Maravi Post Reporter

France has expelled several Algerian officials holding diplomatic passports without visas, in a retaliatory move following Algeria’s recent expulsion of 15 French diplomatic agents. The French Foreign Ministry summoned Algeria’s chargé d’affaires to convey the decision, emphasizing that France reserves the right to take additional measures depending on how the situation evolves.

This tit-for-tat exchange marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two countries, which have been historically complex due to their colonial past. Tensions escalated last year when French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute, angering Algeria. Although there was a brief improvement in relations following a visit to Algiers by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the reciprocal expulsions have reignited tensions.

Barrot stated that diplomatic relations are now “totally blocked”. He labeled Algeria’s latest decision as “unjustified” and vowed a strong and proportionate response.

The strained relations carry significant implications, affecting security, trade, and social ties, given that about 10% of France’s population has connections to Algeria. The diplomatic rift underscores the fragility of the relationship between the two nations and the challenges in navigating their shared history and geopolitical interests.

As the situation develops, both countries face the task of managing the fallout from these diplomatic expulsions and seeking avenues to restore dialogue and cooperation.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/88/00/00/ED_PYR_1488000_20250514113438.mp4
Lifestyle

Algeria commemorates thousands killed by French troops in 1945 massacres

Maravi Post Reporter

As Europe celebrates the 80th anniversary of its triumph over fascism and the end of World War II, Algeria is remembering a darker anniversary: the colonial-era massacres that erupted the same day.

In ceremonies in Guelma, Kherrata and Setif, the cities where the massacres took place, Algerians paid homage to those who were killed.

In a message this week, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune framed the event as a matter of national pride and prelude to the country’s fight for independence after 132 years of French colonialism.

Algeria’s ministry of war veterans is marking the anniversary with a series of events under the slogan, “A people without memory is a people without a future.”

The fight for independence

More than 500,000 tirailleurs (light infantry) from North Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar fought for France during World War II. Some volunteered. Others were forcibly conscripted. Many, including more than 100,000 Algerian tirailleurs, hoped their sacrifices would secure them greater rights.

But when the war ended, Algerians who dared to demand them were met with repression and violence, even as then-Gen. Charles De Gaulle exalted how “the cause of liberty and justice” had prevailed in a radio broadcast throughout France and its colonies, including Algeria.

On May 8, 1945, Algerians filled city streets in Ain Temouchent, Guelma, Kherrata and Setif, waving flags and reviving pre-war calls for independence. Protesters were met with police fire. Violent anti-French riots broke out, killing more than 100.

France subsequently launched an air and ground offensive that killed thousands of Algerians — 45,000 according to Algerian authorities and around 3,000 according to French statistics.

No official apology from France

Tebboune and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a truth commission-style “dossier de memoire” in 2022, led by a committee of historians from both countries. Yet, its activities have stalled amid deteriorating relations over issues such as immigration and how France juggles ties between Algeria and its regional rival Morocco.

Daho Djerbal, an Algerian historian who has written extensively on the events of May 8, 1945 and interviewed many survivors, said that day was a turning point in the country’s history when Algerians began to seek independence.

And, he said, France “has never acknowledged that they committed a mass murder. That’s the current term; we can call it a crime against humanity or a war crime. There was no declared war against the Algerian people. And we sent the air force, the navy, and field artillery to suppress a demonstration.”

French leaders, including Macron, have called for truth and recognition but stopped short of fulfilling Algeria’s demands for a formal state apology.

A delegation of around 30 French lawmakers from left and centrist parties arrived in Algiers on Wednesday to participate in the commemorations of the massacres.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/37/58/02/ED_PYR_1437582_20250508141930.mp4
Lifestyle

Syria holds indirect talks with Israel to prevent escalation

Maravi Post Reporter

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that his country is holding indirect talks with Israel to prevent recent hostilities from getting out of control.

He spoke on his first visit to Europe since taking office in January, and as he seeks to broaden ties to Western countries.

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on parts of Syria last week, saying it aims to protect the country’s Druze minority from coming under attack by pro-government gunmen.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, al-Sharaa said, ″Regarding negotiations with Israel, there are indirect talks through mediators to calm down the situation so that they don’t get out of control.″

He did not say who the mediators are.

There was no immediate public comment from Israel.

Israel has its own Druze community and officials have said they would protect the Druze of Syria and warned Islamic militant groups from entering predominantly Druze areas.

Al-Sharaa met earlier Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who said he would push the EU and U.S. to lift sanctions on Syria to boost its economy.

Macron also called for continued U.S. and international military presence in Syria to fight terrorist groups threatening security in the Mideast and Europe.

Al-Sharaa took power after his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad in December.

Assad, a member of Syria’s Alawite minority, ruled for more than two decades.

The Syrian leader’s visit to Paris comes a week after clashes between forces loyal to al-Sharaa and fighters from the minority Druze sect that left nearly 100 people dead.

This followed earlier violence in Syria’s coastal region between Sunni gunmen and members of the minority Alawite sect, which left more than 1,000 people dead, many of them Alawite civilians killed in revenge attacks.

Religious minorities in Syria, including Alawites, Christians and Druze, fear persecution under the predominantly Sunni Muslim-led government.

Al-Sharaa has repeatedly pledged that all Syrians will be treated equally regardless of religion or ethnicity.

The 14-year conflict has killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions.

Syria’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and international sanctions remain a major barrier to reconstruction.

The visit to Paris is being closely watched as a potential test of Europe’s willingness to engage with Syria’s new leadership.

The European Union has begun easing sanctions, suspending measures targeting Syria’s oil, gas and electricity sectors, as well as transport, including aviation, and banking restrictions.

The EU said that it would monitor developments in Syria to see whether other economic sanctions could be lifted, but its 27 member states are divided on whether to go further.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/32/25/02/ED_PYR_1432252_20250508050317.mp4
Regional

President-elect Trump to meet Macron at VIP Notre Dame Event

Burnett Munthali

By Burnett Munthali

President-elect Donald Trump will join French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris this Saturday for a high-profile event celebrating the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. The star-studded occasion marks a symbolic moment for Trump, signaling his reemergence on the international stage before his January inauguration.

The event, which follows years of restoration on the iconic cathedral, represents a significant moment in Franco-American relations. Macron’s invitation to Trump has been described by analysts as a calculated move to rebuild ties with the U.S. under Trump’s administration. It reflects Macron’s strategic foresight, particularly as he seeks to bolster his own waning influence in Europe.

Political experts note that the transition of global attention from President Joe Biden to Trump has been swift and decisive. Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political analyst, remarked, “World leaders are already aligning themselves with the incoming administration, signaling a clear shift in loyalties.”

Trump’s foreign policy stances, which emphasize bold action and a robust U.S. presence on the world stage, are already shaping international discourse. His calls for tougher trade agreements and his outspoken positions on global conflicts are seen as a sharp departure from Biden’s more traditional diplomatic approach.

The Notre Dame event is not only a ceremonial occasion but also an opportunity for Trump to connect with key allies and showcase his approach to international leadership. Macron, who has faced domestic challenges in recent years, may view this as a chance to elevate France’s profile as a vital partner to the U.S.

This engagement comes as Biden completes his last official foreign trips, including a historic visit to Angola, which has drawn significantly less global attention compared to Trump’s activities. The shift in focus underscores a growing anticipation of the Trump presidency’s impact on global affairs.

The event in Paris, rich with symbolism and political weight, sets the stage for Trump’s anticipated leadership style: assertive, strategic, and unafraid to disrupt the status quo.

Politics, Regional, Top News

US President Trump threatens wine tariffs in retaliation over French tech tax

Maravi Post Reporter
Nicholas Kamm, AFP | US President Donald Trump at the White House on July 25, 2019
US President Donald Trump vowed “substantial” retaliation against France on Friday for a tax targeting US tech giants, threatening to slap tariffs on French wine and blasting President Emmanuel Macron’s “foolishness.”

“France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies,” Trump tweeted about the law, which targets US giants like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

“We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron’s foolishness shortly,” he said.

Later, he confirmed earlier hints that wine may be the target.

“Might be on wine or something else,” he told reporters.

Trump and Macron spoke on the phone Friday, discussing the digital services tax among other issues, the White House said. It did not say whether potential tariffs on French wine were part of the conversation.

Trump, a proud teetotaler, said he’d “always liked American wines better than French wines even though I don’t drink.”

Explaining how he comes to that preference, he noted: “I just like the way they look.”

“Universal taxation of digital activities is a challenge for us all. We want to reach an agreement within the G7 and the OECD. In the meantime, France will implement its national decisions,” Le Maire said.

Sour grapes

Trump has generally got along well with Macron, avoiding some of the more stormy episodes marring traditionally stable relations with other close US allies in Europe and Asia.

But his drive to correct what he sees as unfair trade practices by allies and rivals alike has stirred unprecedented discord.

And this is not the first time that he has mused about taking aim at France’s renowned wine industry.

In June, he told CNBC television that domestic wine makers had complained to him about the difficulties of entering the European market.

“You know what? It’s not fair. We’ll do something about it,” he said.

The current row, however, is linked to a law passed by the French parliament this month on taxing digital companies for income even if their headquarters are elsewhere. This would aim directly at US-based global giants like Amazon.

According to France’s Federation for Wine and Spirit Exporters, a bottle of American white wine with an alcohol volume of 13 percent will be subjected to an 11-cent tax, while an equivalent bottle of European wine would pay about half that to enter the US.

The EU is the biggest importer of US wines. However, American wine exports are dwarfed in volume by the far bigger output from France, Italy and Spain.

Sources: AFP

Lifestyle, Regional, Top News

Mamoudou Gassama: Mali ‘Spiderman’ to be made French citizen

Maravi Post Reporter

BBC-A Malian migrant, hailed as a hero after mounting a daring rescue to save a small boy dangling from a balcony in Paris, is to be made a French citizen.

Mamoudou Gassama won widespread praise after climbing the outside of the building to save the four-year-old.

Video showed him being cheered on by spectators as he pulled himself from balcony to balcony to the fourth floor.

According to BBC, after meeting him at the Elysee Palace, President Emmanuel Macron said he would be made a naturalised citizen.

He personally thanked Mr Gassama, gave him a medal for courage and said he would also be offered a role in the fire service.

Mr Gassama is said to have arrived in France last year, taking the long and dangerous journey to Europe via a boat over the Mediterranean to Italy.

The drama that thrust him to fame unfolded on Saturday evening on a street in the north of the city.

Mr Gassama said he had been walking past when he saw a crowd gathered in front of the building.

He told Mr Macron: “I just didn’t have time to think, I ran across the road to go and save him.
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“I just climbed up and thank God, God helped me. The more I climbed the more I had the courage to climb up higher, that’s it,” he added.

He said that the boy was crying when he hauled him to safety and had also suffered an injured foot.

Firefighters arrived to find the child had already been rescued.

“Luckily, there was someone who was physically fit and who had the courage to go and get the child,” a spokesperson said.

Local authorities quoted by French media said the boy’s parents were not at home at the time.

The father has been questioned by police on suspicion of leaving his child unattended, judicial sources say. The mother was not in Paris at the time, it is believed.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was among those to praise the 22-year-old’s heroism and said she had called him to thank him.

She referred to him as the “Spiderman of the 18th”, referring to the Paris district where the rescue took place, calling him an “example for all citizens”.