Six months later, Bayrou is still France's PM
One deadline extension after another, and with the help of various stalling tactics, on Friday, June 13, French Prime Minister François Bayrou managed to reach the six-month mark for his time in office, lasting twice as long as his predecessor, Michel Barnier. He marches on, but at a cautious pace. Bayrou still has to operate under the threat of a no-confidence vote in a majority-less Assemblée Nationale.
He put a new "idea" on the table on Monday, June 16, the day before the expected conclusion of a key series of talks on the pensions system: a "bonus" paid to older employees who "choose to stay at work." And he said he was ready to give the negotiators from the labor unions and employers' organizations extra time to examine the proposal. The end of the talks, initially scheduled for May 28, then June 17, was therefore delayed once again. "He's dragging things out," said a Macron-aligned lawmaker.
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Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Netflix and France's TF1 join forces as traditional TV struggles
Streaming giant Netflix and major French broadcaster TF1 have signed a deal to merge some of their services at a time when demand for traditional TV is slowing. Starting in Summer 2026, all Netflix members in France will be able to watch TF1 channels and on-demand content from TF1+ directly on Netflix. That includes dramas like Broceliande and soaps such as Demain nous appartient, as well as major live sports matches. These will soon be available alongside Netflix's own French-language offerings and its international series and films. 'This is a first-of-its-kind partnership that plays to our strengths of giving audiences the best entertainment alongside the best discovery experience,' said Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, in a press release. Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of TF1 Group, added: "I am delighted about this new partnership with Netflix, with whom we have already established strong relationships through ambitious co-productions in recent months." TF1 and Netflix have already worked together on projects such as L'Agence and Tout le bleu du ciel. Belmer continued: "As viewing habits shift toward on-demand consumption and audience fragmentation increases, this unprecedented alliance will enable our premium content to reach unparalleled audiences and unlock new reach for advertisers within an ecosystem that perfectly complements our TF1+ platform." It's not yet clear whether Netflix paid an initial fee for the content, and the firms didn't disclose how they will manage subscription and advertising revenues. TF1 is a free-to-air channel in France, meaning it relies on advertising income, even for its streaming services. The TV network currently reaches 58 million monthly viewers through its broadcast channels and serves 35 million users on its TF1+ streaming service. Through Studio TF1, the company also manages over 50 production companies and labels across France and international markets. Airbus SE introduced a new dividend policy on Wednesday, increasing the amount it intends to pay to shareholders in the future. The firm increased its new dividend payout ratio limit from 40% to 50% of the share of profits, bringing the new payout range to 30%-50%. Airbus also hinted at the possibility of paying out a special dividend and introducing share buyback programmes. The planemaker and defence company also said that it would maintain its long-term cash conversion target, a measurement of the firm's efficiency in converting its profits into cash. 'Airbus will reaffirm its commitment to profitable growth and its cash conversion target of around 1 over a 5-year horizon,' the company said. Airbus' share price increased by 3% by around 11.00 CEST, following the announcement. The company's statement comes at a time of global trade uncertainty and supply chain disruptions. Airbus set a goal of handing over 820 aircraft this year. Ongoing supply chain issues slowed the deliveries in the first months of 2025, but Christian Scherer, CEO of the company's core planemaking business, said that Airbus remains "cautiously hopeful" about meeting its 2025 target. Meanwhile, Airbus' defence business is thriving. With the EU preparing a significant defence budget increase, the firm is expecting its military helicopter orders to grow by 50% between 2023 and 2025. Airbus is also developing a drone portfolio, aiming to become a market leader in this segment. Airbus started this week at the Paris Air Show, announcing new orders from Saudi Arabia and Poland. Airbus also recently signed a framework agreement with the French military for purchases of navy drones, and secured another deal with Singapore to deliver military helicopters.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Cancelled ‘Beauty and the Beast' book 'finally' released in France
A modern retelling of the 1756 fairytale "La Belle et la Bête" ('Beauty and the Beast') is published in France today, three months after the French Education Ministry called it inappropriate for children. The new illustrated rendition, written by cartoonist Jul, comes to bookstores with a red banner on its cover saying: 'Enfin!' ('Finally!'). The French government had originally commissioned the text as part of its annual 'A book for the holidays' campaign, through which 800,000 pupils receive a copy of an updated literary classic to read over the summer. The book was ready for its first print run when the Education Ministry cancelled its order in March, citing concerns over the portrayal of issues including social media and alcohol. 'The finished book is not suitable for independent reading, at home, with the family and without the guidance of teachers, for pupils aged 10 to 11' and 'could raise a number of questions among students that would not necessarily be answered appropriately,' the ministry said in a letter to the author. Jul denounced 'censorship' based on 'false pretexts.' He said the decision came from his representation of a heroine with brown skin and black curly hair. 'With the sensitivity and critical sense of a cartoonist used to capturing the zeitgeist, Jul infuses 'Beauty and the Beast' with a captivating modernity, without losing any of its universal spirit', the book's publisher GrandPalaisRmnÉditions said ahead of today's release. Education minister Élisabeth Borne's initial preface has disappeared from the newly published version, which is intended for readers from age 10 upwards, according to the publisher. Jul celebrated the release with a 3-minute online video, in which celebrities read excerpts of the tale. The video, titled 'Because no one should control what we read', features actors, writers and politicians from across the political spectrum, including former Education Minister Nicole Belloubet and former President François Hollande. "This mobilisation of the entire 'republican arc', with elected representatives as far apart as [leftist lawmaker] François Ruffin and [former right-wing Prime Minister] Édouard Philippe, shows that it's not possible for an ultra-reactionary fringe to tell us what we should or shouldn't read', Jul told AFP. 'There is unanimous agreement that this book deserves to be widely read.' The controversy even reached the National Assembly. Green lawmaker Cyrielle Chatelain requested on Monday the creation of a parliamentary inquiry committee into "the ultra-reactionary threat hanging over" French schools. She used 'Beauty and the Beast' as a case study. The "censorship" scandal still bears consequences. Jul's 'Beauty and the Beast' was printed in 20,000 copies, compared to the 800,000 initially required for the government's campaign. "The people who will go and buy it in bookshops are those who already go to bookshops," said Jul. "It was supposed to be given to those who don't usually go. The promotion of a common literary heritage is the ministry's mission, and it has failed." Belfast rap group Kneecap have a scheduled appearance today at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, UK, over terror charges. How to prep for such a situation? Billboards, of course. The trio, known for satirical lyrics and on-stage provocations, have put billboards up all over London that read 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara', in reference to a discriminatory slogan used in the mid-twentieth century that read 'No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs'. These discriminatory signs were commonplace in London in the 50s, plastered on homes and businesses. Kneecap announced their version of the sign on social media, ahead of what they have referred to as a 'witch-hunt'. Indeed, Mo Chara – real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – was charged over an alleged incident where he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a UK concert last November. Hezbollah is listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK Government. The group said that they 'deny' the offence and will 'vehemently defend ourselves'. 'This is political policing,' they wrote. 'This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.' 'British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with 'terrorism' for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win.' Une publication partagée par KNEECAP (@kneecap32) Kneecap have repeatedly denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, and argued that they are facing a "co-ordinated smear campaign" after speaking out about "the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people". "Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history", they said in a statement. "Kneecap's message has always been - and remains - one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs." Many Kneecap fans made their way to Westminster Magistrates Court to show their support. Several days after the terror charges were made, the band addressed them by saying during their set at Wide Awake festival that the charges were a way of silencing Kneecap and preventing them from 'speaking on stage at Glastonbury the way we did at Coachella'. Several artists have supported Kneecap, including Brian Eno, Fontaines D.C. and Pulp. They signed an open letter criticizing a 'clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform' Kneecap and opposing 'political repression of artistic freedom.' The letter reads: "As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom.' "In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people." Similarly, Love Music Hate Racism shared a statement saying that the charity organisation 'stands with Kneecap'. 'Love Music Hate Racism stands with Kneecap against the attempts to silence them for speaking out for Gaza,' the statement read. 'Anyone trying to silence them, or get them pulled from shows, is on the wrong side of history. 'LMHR has always attempted to use the power of music to unite people against hate and division. We stand with Kneecap against those directing hate towards the movement for Palestine. We call on all to stand with Kneecap and defend Mo Chara on June 18 outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London.' There has been pushback from several UK politicians regarding the appearance of Kneecap at various music festivals this summer. The band are still listed as performing at Glastonbury on Saturday 28 June. Whether or not the BBC - Glastonbury's broadcaster – decide to televise Kneecap's performance remains to be seen.
Local France
an hour ago
- Local France
French are 'becoming more tolerant', annual racism survey shows
Since 1990, French human rights group the Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme has run a detailed annual survey examining national attitudes towards issues of race, religion and ethnicity. The results of the 2024 survey have just been published and show that "tolerance is on the rise again" as the report concludes, showing that people are less likely to hold racist opinions in 2024 than they were in 2023. Despite a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric in national politics, and the increasing electoral success of the far-right Rassemblement National, the survey shows that ordinary people in France are becoming more tolerant. 'The 2024 index is the third best score for tolerance since measurements began in 1990,' said the CNCDH. Advertisement "Over 35 years, the trend has been one of growing acceptance of minorities, over and above cyclical fluctuations (terrorist attacks, economic insecurity, political rhetoric, etc." Overall, the data shows a steady rise in tolerance since 1990. However the data also shows large annual fluctuations which appear to be linked to current events - for example one of the lowest years on record for tolerance is 2015, the year in which France was hit by repeated Islamist terror attacks. More recently tolerance had peaked in 2022 before falling in 2023 and then rebounding somewhat in 2024 - a trend that researchers believe is linked to the Hamas attacks on October 7th 2023 and Israel's subsequent campaign against Gaza, in addition to urban riots in France in the summer of 2023 and political debate around the passing of the 2024 Immigration law. In total 18.9 percent of survey respondents in 2024 identified themselves as 'somewhat' or 'a little' racist - a fall on previous years - although that figure rises to 56 percent among people who describe themselves as 'very right wing' politically. The survey, conducted by polling organisation Ipsos, takes a representative sample of the French public and asks them to rate whether they would view themselves as racist, then asks their attitudes towards black, Asian, Arab, Roma, Muslim and Jewish people, as well as asking them to evaluate statements such as "there is a hierarchy of races". They then calculate an overall tolerance index score, which can be measured against previous years. The rise in tolerance within society can be explained in particular by "higher levels of education, generational renewal and the diversification of the French population", sociologists Yuma Ando, Nonna Mayer and Vincent Tiberj, who are associated with the report, told France Info . Advertisement The highest index is for the youngest adults, born since 1987 (with a historic score of 81 out of 100), ahead of those born between 1977 and 1986 (69 out of 100, a record for this generation). However the researchers flagged up a concern that tolerance levels are stagnating or even going backwards among older generations, creating more of a generational divide. The highest level of discrimination was recorded against Roma people, echoing long-standing prejudice against gypsies and travellers that is seen across Europe. The report also noted that levels of racist, anti-Semitic or anti-religious crimes remain high - according to the Interior Ministry, recorded hate crimes rose by 11 percent in 2024. Similarly, online reports to the Pharos platform for public incitement to hatred, discrimination, xenophobic insults and defamation jumped by 55 percent. CNCDH President Jean-Marie Burguburu said: "The increase in racist remarks, offences and crimes is worrying. While racist and anti-Semitic acts have never been so high, the political response seems non-existent." Earlier this month the anti-terror prosecutors office launched its first investigation into a crime with apparent far-right links, after a French man shot and killed his Tunisian neighbour , after posting violent and racist content online. READ ALSO : ANALYSIS: How much of a threat is extreme-right violence in France?✎
