Latest news with #BrunoRetailleau
Zawya
a day ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Saudi, French interior ministers sign security cooperation agreement in Paris
PARIS — Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif held official talks on Monday with French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau in Paris, where the two sides signed an executive document outlining future security cooperation between their ministries. The meeting followed a bilateral session during which both ministers reviewed key issues related to security collaboration, including combatting organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering, as well as enhancing the exchange of expertise between the two countries. Prince Abdulaziz emphasized that the talks reflect the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to deepen Saudi-French security relations. He praised the progress made in recent years and reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to expanding joint efforts with France to address transnational criminal threats. The Saudi minister also extended congratulations to his French counterpart on the occasion of France's National Day, wishing continued security, prosperity, and stability to the French government and people. The newly signed document aims to institutionalize cooperation across multiple security domains, signaling a strengthened partnership between the two interior ministries. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Local France
2 days ago
- Politics
- Local France
France confirms new written test for citizenship applications
The French government announced that from January 1st, 2026, people applying for citizenship will also need to pass a written history and civics exam, in addition to the standard 'assimilation' interview required to demonstrate integration. The announcement was part of a decree , published on July 15th, that primarily focused on the start date for new, stricter language requirements, which was part of the 2024 immigration law. READ MORE: Revealed: Start date for new French language requirements While some portions of the 2024 immigration law have already come into effect, others (such as changes to language requirements for residency cards) are due to be implemented sometime before January 2026. Advertisement You can read more about the other requirements for applying for French nationality in our separate guide article. What will the new civics exam entail? Plans to add a written civics exam were initially referenced in a recent memo ( circulaire ) sent out by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. READ MORE: Explained: What exactly is the 'new history test' proposed for foreigners in France? The French government clarified in the July decree that it will begin to use the written exam to assess applicants' "required level of knowledge of French history, culture, and society." The government explained that the goal of adding the civics exam is to "improve the efficiency of examining applications for French nationality" and to "restrict the scope of the assimilation interview to only those applications that meet the conditions of admissibility." As such, it appears that under the new rules, applicants who successfully pass the civics examination will then move forward to the assimilation interview. It is not clear at this stage exactly what form the exam will take and whether there will be any exemptions. The decree states only that further details will follow in a ministerial document. In terms of the knowledge being tested, this seems likely to be largely based on the Livret du citoyen , and therefore is essentially the same knowledge that people are already required to have for the citizenship interview. The written test will be in addition to, not instead of, the in-person interview at the préfecture. The Interior Ministry confirmed to The Local that the changes apply only to citizenship applications made after January 1st 2026 - anyone who has already applied and is waiting for their application to be dealt with is treated according to the current rules. A spokesman confirmed: "The decree enters into effect on January 1st 2026, only applications submitted after that date will be subject to the following requirements; B2 level French and the written history and civics test. "Applications submitted between now and December 31st will be treated according to the current law."
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi interior minister holds talks with French counterpart to enhance security, combat crime
LONDON: Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif discussed ways to enhance security cooperation with his French counterpart, Bruno Retailleau, during talks in Paris on Monday. The two ministers discussed security efforts aimed at combating crime, tracking perpetrators, confronting drug smuggling and money laundering networks, and exchanging security expertise. They signed an executive document outlining future security cooperation between Riyadh and Paris. Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the achievements made over the years between Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry and its French counterpart in the security field, emphasizing the Kingdom's strong ties with France. In the diplomatic arena, the two countries are co-chairing a three-day UN high-level conference this week to advance the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, aiming to settle the decades-long conflict that has affected the Middle East. Several senior officials and aides from the Saudi Ministry of Interior attended the meeting on Monday alongside their French counterparts and the Saudi Ambassador to France Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili.
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi, French interior ministers sign security cooperation agreement in Paris
Saudi Gazette report PARIS — Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif held official talks on Monday with French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau in Paris, where the two sides signed an executive document outlining future security cooperation between their ministries. The meeting followed a bilateral session during which both ministers reviewed key issues related to security collaboration, including combatting organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering, as well as enhancing the exchange of expertise between the two countries. Prince Abdulaziz emphasized that the talks reflect the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to deepen Saudi-French security relations. He praised the progress made in recent years and reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to expanding joint efforts with France to address transnational criminal threats. The Saudi minister also extended congratulations to his French counterpart on the occasion of France's National Day, wishing continued security, prosperity, and stability to the French government and people. The newly signed document aims to institutionalize cooperation across multiple security domains, signaling a strengthened partnership between the two interior ministries.
Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
France's decision to recognise Palestine is a mistake
Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise Palestinian statehood. The French president will make his historic proclamation, the first among G7 countries, at the UN General Assembly in September. In a statement on X, Macron said that 'there is no alternative', adding that 'the French people want peace in the Middle East'. Many French people, however, do not want their country to recognise Palestine in the manner Macron intends. A poll last month found that only 22 per cent were in favour of immediate and unconditional recognition; 31 per cent were opposed and 47 per cent would accept recognition once Hamas had laid down its arms and released all the Israeli hostages. Not for the first time, Macron is swimming against the tide of public opinion in France. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, condemned what he called a 'hasty decision'. Even some of Macron's centrists MPs disapproved. Caroline Yadan, said it was a 'political, moral and historical mistake'. The left, however, from the Greens to the Communists to the radical la France Insoumise, are delighted. Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the latter, described the decision as a 'moral victory'. As usual, Macron has sided with the progressive left, as he does on all the major issues of the day: Palestine, mass immigration, assisted dying, law and order and Net Zero. This should surprise no one. 'I am left-wing,' he proclaimed in 2016. 'That is my history.' It also explains why he and Keir Starmer are 'firm friends'. As a consequence, there is growing discontent within Macron's coalition government from those ministers who hail from the right. In May, Macron scolded three of them, Bruno Retailleau, Gerald Darmanin and Sophie Primas, for their failure to toe the party line and for being too 'ambitious'. How ironic. When Macron declared his allegiance to the left in 2016, it was as a justification for launching his own party, En Marche. At the time he was serving as the minister of the economy in Francois Hollande's Socialist government. The left, said Macron, was 'my family' but 'part of my family is afraid of a changing world'. The Socialist party wasn't progressive enough for Macron. So he quit and ran for president, winning the election after the favourite, the conservative Francois Fillon, was brought down by a financial scandal – a scandal many on the right believe was engineered by the deep state. One of Fillon's closest advisors during his ill-fated campaign was Bruno Retailleau, who since September has served in Macron's coalition government as his Minister of the Interior. The pair can't stand the sight of each other. The depth of their mutual disdain was laid bare on Wednesday in an interview with Valeurs actuelles, a conservative magazine not a million miles ideologically from The Spectator, to whom Retailleau also spoke this week. Retailleau was withering in his summation of 'Macronism', saying it will die as soon as the president leaves office in 2027 'because Macronism is neither a political movement nor an ideology: it is essentially based on one man'. It is a cult, in other words, with a leader who demands devotion from his followers. Woe betide those whose faith wavers. Macron has worked his way through 158 ministers since 2017, more than any other president of the Fifth Republic. But will he dare dispense with Retailleau, his most defiant minister to date, the man who declared this week that he doesn't believe in Macronism because it 'fuels powerlessness'? Sack Retailleau and the fragile government would likely come crashing down. The pair were scheduled to have a one-to-one meeting at the Elysee on Thursday morning, but Macron cancelled at the 11th hour and, according to the French media, instructed his prime minister 'to restore discipline among his troops'. A dressing down from Francois Bayrou is unlikely to have much effect on Retailleau. If he has lost respect for the president, why should he retain it for his prime minister, a long-time political ally? The French people appear to have given up on the pair; an opinion poll this week revealed that Bayrou's approval rating is at 18 per cent, one point behind the president's, which is a record low in his eight years in office. Retailleau's dilemma is whether to stay in his post, or to leave and focus on his presidential campaign. He said this week that he wants to achieve a 'union of right-wing voters…in order to win in 2027' because of the very real possibility that a divided right could result in a victory for the left. The left encompasses not just Mélenchon, the Socialists and the Greens but also the progressivism practised by Macron's party. 'Everyone should agree on the failure of progressivism,' explained Retailleau. 'Progressivism has detached the individual from society…it is up to the right to propose a social project that breaks with the principles laid down by the left.' Remaining in government gives Retailleau a platform to address the public, which he did on Thursday. On a visit to a Paris police station, Retailleau pledged his unflinching support to officers across the country who have come under attack from mobs of youths this month. 'On one side, there is the France of heroes, and on the other, the France of bastards, who shoot at our police officers, our gendarmes and our firefighters,' he said. The rhetoric is inflammatory, and honest, but it's not what Emmanuel Macron wants to hear. He is in denial about the disintegration of France, preferring to focus his energy on bringing peace to Gaza and Ukraine. Retailleau's priority is France. He remains in government, he says, because he is 'motivated by a deep conviction: only France's interests matter.' Macron's deep conviction is the EU. That is the fundamental difference between him and Retailleau; one puts France first and other believes Brussels is paramount.
