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Labor union forces and the Left came together last Tuesday to give support to workers in general under the pressure of inflation. The action supported oil refinery strikes that were in the process of being broken by government orders to return to work but they laid a foundation for future protest. This Thursday October 27th and Thursday November 10th two weeks later now designated as inter-professional strike days to demand higher wages in France in the face of inflation. In the National Assembly this week the government flexed the strong executive power of the French Presidency under the 1958 "Fifth...

On Newsdump Friday Night in France the government of President Emmanuel Macron brought in opposition politicians for consultations on "Pension Reform" Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the retirement age in France in the coming years. The National Rally leader in France's legislature Marine Le Pen spoke to reporters outside her meeting at Hotel Matignon the home of French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Le Pen telling the media "Wanting to implement pension reform at all costs seems unreasonable to me." The Government lacking a majority in the National Assembly holding out the notion of President Emmanuel Macron implementing Article 49.3 of...

Striking workers blockading oil refineries in France have disrupted the distribution of gasoline in France this week. At the European nations conference in Prague President Emmanuel Macron called for things like: "calm" "responsibility" trying to discourage a rush by motorists to fill up their tanks. One in five French service stations having problems providing fuel to customers today. Late today word that in some parts of France motorists and truckers were being subjected to restrictions on the amount of fuel they could fill up with. (30 liters or 7.93 gallons for cars and 150 liters or 39.63 gallons for trucks)...

"You would have elections that everybody could be proud of. Because right now this country is a laughingstock all over the world," former president said in an interview with Just the News. Former President Donald Trump is offering a specific policy prescription for restoring Americans' confidence in elections, saying it is time for states to return to paper ballots and to end no-excuses absentee ballots so that results can be finalized on Election Day and the nation can stop looking like a "laughing stock" to the world. "I call them the fake vote store. That's the mail in ballots. We...

This week talks of a "third way" when it comes to President Emmanuel Macron's controversial 'pension reform' plan. Instead of a head-on move this fall a delay until early next being talked about. On Thursday government spokesman Olivier Veran said the pension legislation is set to take effect the summer of 2023. In the end by 2027 the retirement age will be 64 and by 2031 it will be 65. President Macron, meanwhile, remains ready to use his special powers to push his pension plan through and promises to dissolve the National Assembly if they vote a motion of censure...

The Left in France's National Assembly facing allegations that two men in its ranks were involved in violence against women. The charges caused Adrien Quatennens of the LFI Party to step down from his leadership role and Julien Bayou to be suspended from his leadership role in the Greens. The media slamming of the "Left" continued later in the week with attention drawn to "Left" leader Jean-Luc Melenchon touching the cheek of a reporter the notion of violence presented. Meanwhile the French have been polled on pension reform by Elabe for BFM-TV. This follows President Emmanuel Macron's intention to broach...

This week President Emmanuel Macron trying to go around the opposition victory in the parliamentary elections earlier this year. Macron starting a "National Council Of Renewal" with a Thursday meeting that brought together more than 40 people from various groups and local governments. Issues including climate change and aging discussed all without any opposition politicians to question the presuppositions of Macron on the issues. Saturday September 10th promoted as an important day of protest in Paris and Yellow Vests have again gathered in the city. The video showing the Yellow Vested protesters was taken down shortly after it was put...

In France this week talks about a: "quota trading system" for energy and the possibility of energy rationing as the natural gas situation for France moved into a new phase. Russia's Gazprom announced an end to natural gas supplies for France due to non-payment. The suspension effective Thursday. Russia wanting payments in Russian roubles following financial sanctions imposed on it over Ukraine... On Friday it was announced that nuclear reactors currently offline in France (32 out of 56) will be brought back in service this winter. The weekly protest continues in Paris this Saturday. The march in the streets of...

France is at a "tipping point" and the "age of abundance" is over. The end of summer message from President Emmanuel Macron at a cabinet meeting last Wednesday clearing the way trying to brace France for energy related problems in the months ahead. Much said being said about Ukraine less being said about any "climate" policies which could impact energy in the months and years ahead... Finding new sources of natural gas other than Russia driving President Macron's visit to Algeria late this week. Macron says it's time to lay the "painful history" behind during his visit a reference to...

President Emmanuel Macron warned the French on Wednesday of tough months ahead as the world faces "a big shift", with government spokesman Olivier Veran adding that the cap on energy prices will have to end. The billion euro energy price cap, which has helped households cope with soaring inflation, looks set to expire this winter, the government said. Gas prices in France are currently frozen and there is currently a cap on power price hikes. Both have helped keep French inflation lower than many of its EU peers but are weighing heavily on the public purse. Furthermore, pension and unemployment...

Speaking in the south of France Friday President Emmanuel Macron raised the dramatic tone regarding Ukraine as France moves towards a winter that may be one of suffering for France due to the situation there. Macron speaking of Russia staging a "brutal attack" in Ukraine and "the price of freedom" in his remarks in Var at a ceremony commemorating its liberation by allied forces during World War II (August 1944). France pulling the last of its troops out of the African nation of Mali this week... Russia's Wagner Group now providing a contracted mercenary force to fight the terrorists. Mali...

The focus of media attention the massive brush fire in southwestern France. Hundreds of firefighters backed up by aircraft battling the blaze near Bordeaux. Assistance from other countries brought into help with the firefighting effort... Today in the summer heat Yellow Vests again on the streets in Paris... The protesters today in the hundreds marching with flags and banners some in Yellow Vests others not one banner read by demonstrators simply saying: "Les Medias Mentent" translated: "The Media Lie" A detachment of police along with the protesters in the streets as is the norm. A 67 minute video posted online...

Drought a big concern of France's government at the end of the week Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne activating an inter-ministerial crisis group. As the very hot summer continues with temperatures in many parts of France regularly exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit more than 100 communities said to be without water supplies. The situation described by mainstream media as historic... And this 59 minute video gives you an inside look at the protest on the streets of Paris today you will see the distribution of fruit, magicians and comics in the midst of today's march on the streets...

France's Senate voting last night on purchasing power legislation. "Emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power" is the way the legislation was described. The Senate amending the original version that passed the National Assembly focused on helping the poorer French but keeping in the key measure of a four percent hike for pensions and other government subsidies retroactive to July 1st. The Senate voted to help business in France as well so a commercial rent cap ot 3.5 percent a year was put in the Senate version... In the summer in the heat the protests continue they are very...

Losses for the government in the National Assembly early this week the combined forces of the Left, Les Republicans and the National Rally mustering majorities to eliminate vaccine passports for minors under the age of 18 and to eliminate the health emergency laws of COVID effective August 1st. The government will take its fight to restore those measures to the Senate. On the occasion of Bastille Day Thursday President Emmanuel Macron talked a wide range of issues with the two major television outlets (TF1 and France 2). Macron frankly told the French in essence that they need to "work harder"......

The administrative court in Nice ruling that a public transportation mask order is suspended in that city. Mayor Christian Estrosi issued the order. Estrosi is a former member of "Les Republicans" the "mainstream conservative" party who now identifies with "Horizons" a party supporting President Emmanuel Macron. The judge noted that since there is currently no mask order nationally one is not needed in Nice. In the National Assembly Wednesday Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne presented the government's program. But Borne did not ask for a vote of confidence from the assembly. That is because her faction supporting President Emmanuel Macron lacks...

French President Emmnauel Macron in the international spotlight this week with the G7 Summit in Germany quickly followed by the NATO Summit in Spain both efforts to build up a US led international front against both Russia and China. Yellow Vests protesters active on days other than Saturday these signs erected outside a shopping center at a traffic circle just last Wednesday. Yellow Vests protesting inside the circle... One of the signs translating: Lies About Russia + Currency Magic + Digital Identity And Currency = Lethal Dose Today in Paris the Yellow Vests continued to make their presence known...

A newly released transcript of a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reveals Putin prioritized a game of ice hockey ahead of scheduling peace negotiations with U.S. President Joe Biden.The transcript of the Feb. 20 phone call between Putin and Macron was obtained and jointly published by AFP and the French-language publication Le Temps. The transcript revealed that during the call between Macron and Putin, the French president asked Putin to agree to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland for peace talks…

British supporters of Israel reacted with outrage this week after Amnesty International’s general secretary said that anyone who criticizes its report accusing Israel of “apartheid” is “weaponizing antisemitism.” The UK government’s antisemitism adviser, Lord Mann, blasted Amnesty for “looking obsessional” and “undermining all its other work.” “Amnesty International is losing its influence by ruining its credibility,” Man told the Jewish Chronicle. At the meeting, Callamard allegedly said that critics of the report were attempting to manufacture claims of antisemitism in order to silence free speech. “They are calling names and refusing to engage,” she said. “[This is] a form of...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted the invitation extended to him by Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia, to participate in the G20 summit in November. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is set to attend the summit. Source: Interfax, a Russian news agency, quoting Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin Quote from Ushakov: "Yes, we have confirmed that we will participate [in the G20 summit - ed.]. For now, they have invited us to attend in person. There’s plenty of time [until the summit - ed]. I hope that the pandemic will allow this meeting to take...